


Morticia

by ETNMystic



Series: Unlucky Number 12 [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF, escape the night - Fandom
Genre: Gen, I'm getting a Mother Gothel vibe, Morticia - Freeform, anyone want any more cute ro and saf scenes?, badass safiya, because I think I might, dark motherly figure!saf, dark!teala, i think i might have a few cute friendship scenes with ro and saf, maybe have some dark!saf, please give me suggestions, we'll have to see, we're definitely having dark!saf, who wants scene between ro and saf?, you guys up for that?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-07-17 18:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 23,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16101731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic
Summary: When Safiya breaks from her binds, the group takes refuge in Flint's Arcade. But a mistake leads her to being captured by the clowns. When her work as a strategist is deemed lacking, one of the clowns suggests an alternative course of action. Now the group must save Safiya before sunrise.





	1. Giving Them The Runaround

 

“So I’ll ask you one more time, pup,” the leader hisses, leaning in close to her ear.  
"Are you for sale?”

Ro’s legs begin to tremble as the clown leader holds the blade back up to her throat. Closing her eyes, she’s ready to just give herself up to them.

“I——“ she begins.

While this is going on, Safiya has had an idea. Since the clown leader started going around to each person, only pausing when she came to her, Safiya has been rubbing her rope on the pole. The friction is causing it to fray and soon enough, the ropes snap.

Immediately, Safiya bursts from her spot and goes over to Matt. 

“Safiya?” he whispers as she undoes his binds.  
“How did you get out?”

“Long story.”

Soon enough his ropes are undone. They think they’re in the clear, when suddenly….

“Hey!” the clown leader snaps.  
“How did you get out of your binds?”

There’s no time to lose. Safiya and Matt take off, quickly undoing everyone’s binds, while the clowns chase them around the platform. It’s total pandemonium. Once everyone’s out, they all charge at the clowns. Nikita takes on the clown leader with her fists and reinforced acrylics. Roi sneaks up behind Sally and tickles her, causing her to drop the bat. Manny then swoops in and grabs it from her, but before he can do anything, Luke has him held back and makes him drop the bat. 

“Guys, I don’t think we can take them on for much longer,” Joey admits.

All of a sudden, Ro begins to scream and runs from the group. She’s quite quick, and soon all of the clowns are after her. 

“Everyone, in there,” Joey exclaims, pointing to Flint’s Arcade.

They all dash inside, except for Safiya and Matt. They decide to wait outside for Ro to return. About five minutes later, she comes dashing back and panting. Before she rushes to the arcade, she spies the dice and picks them up.

“I think….I gave them the run-around, but——“

“No time to talk,” Safiya tells her.

The two of them pull her inside. They all lay on the ground, waiting for the clowns to pass by. Safiya's heart is pounding with anxiety as they come back.

"Morticia," the clown leader calls in a sing-song voice.  
"Where are you?"

She's racking her brain, trying to figure out what to do if she's caught. Maybe just deck them and run?

"Why can't we just take Little Orphan Annie?" Sally whines.  
"She's sooooo cute!"

"Shut up, Sally," the leader groans.  
"We're not here for cute."

"But you wanted her to go with us, didn't you?"

"Only to shut you up."

"And?"

"And.....yeah, I guess she's kinda cute. Tell you what. If we get ahold of Little Orphan Annie, maybe Morticia will come to save her."

Instinctively, Safiya grasps tightly onto Ro, as does Matt. Sally squeals in delight at the proposition.

"Maybe we should check the arcade," Luke suggests.

Meanwhile, Teala's snatched the dice from Ro and is now on Matt's case.

"I checked the journal," she whispers.  
"There's something against the back wall, but I think I might need your key."

Sighing, Matt reluctantly hands over the key. Rushing over to the back, Teala flings open the cork board.

"Hey," one of the clowns barks as she turns the key in the lock.  
"Isn't that the Gal in Red?"

Holding her breath, Safiya hopes and prays that the clowns don't come inside.

"Yeah, she's in the arcade," Luke gasps.

But her hopes and prayers are dashed.

"Peek-a-boo!" the clown leader cackles.

They storm the arcade. Safiya grabs tightly onto Ro, but feels a strong arm grab her and pull her back. She tries to fight against her captor, but it's no use. Safiya is dragged out of the arcade.

"I've got her!" Sally squeals as she drags a trembling and fear-stricken Ro out with her.

"Leave her alone!" Safiya snaps.  
"You can take me, but leave Ro alone."

"But she's sooo cute!" Sally whines.

"Alright, we've got what we've came for," the leader cackles as she pulls on Safiya.  
"Let's roll out, you little shits!"

 

 


	2. The Funny Way of Strategizing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safiya, now held captive by the clowns, is given the task of fixing errors in their plans. But the errors might just be their plans themselves.

"Come along, little doggies," the clown leader ushers them mockingly into a tent. 

While Ro is lightly placed amongst a pile of blankets, pillows, and a plush puppy, Safiya is violently dragged into a sort-of study and pushed into a desk chair. She's kind of shaking in her shoes, when the leader shoves a pile of papers on the desk in front of her.

"Well," she snaps.  
"You seem smart. Am I wrong?"

Safiya's not really sure how to answer this, so she kind of just stammers.

"Uh, I mean, that depends on your definition of 'smart.'"

"Listen, I'm not here to be lectured at; I just need a strategist for our plans. Look over these, and write down if there are any holes in them. I'm gonna go take a drink break. I'll be back in half an hour. And don't miss anything!"

The leader shuts the door violently, causing Safiya to jump. For a few moments, she's unable to say or do anything. But soon the shock wears off and she shrugs.

"Okay, guess I gotta look over these," she sighs as she picks up the first plan.  
"Not like I have a choice in the matter, of course."

* * *

 Half an hour later, the leader returns, a bit tipsy, as she holds a whiskey in her hands.

"Well, Morticia," she announces.  
"Make any progress?"

"Uh, yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you about a few of them, namely all of them."

"What? What's wrong with them?"

Safiya picks up one of the plans and turns it around.

"This is just a drawing of you shooting a guy with a gun with the words 'Pew, pew!' in the back."

"I know," the clown leader giggles.  
"Isn't it great?"

"And this," she continues, picking up another.  
"Is just a drawing of you stabbing a guy. In fact all of your 'plans' are just drawings of you shooting or stabbing someone."

"Yeah? So what's the problem?""

Safiya throws the plans down on the desk.

"There's no strategy."

"Well, that's where you come in."

"But I have nothing to work off of! And even if I did, there's no variety. It's either shooting or stabbing."

"What about this?" the clown leader asks as she picks up another drawing.

Safiya takes a look and turns it around.

"This is just a drawing of you stabbing all of us on the carousel."

By now, the leader is losing patience. She's not used to being back talked in this way.

"Look," the clown leader growls.  
"I didn't graciously take you away from those people for you to be a smartass."

"Graciously," Safiya repeats angrily as she stands up.  
"Oh yeah, it's real gracious of you to force me in here against my will."

"You asking for a knife to the throat, bitch?" the leader asks as she whips out her blade.

Seeing this, Safiya's frightened slightly, but remains composed. Folding her arms, she merely shrugs.

"Go ahead," she replies casually.  
"Kill me."

The leader, glaring at Safiya, slowly raises the blade as her hands tremble. She looks like she's hesitating. Finally she lets out an exasperated groan as she throws down her hand.

"Forget it," she sighs.  
"It's no fun when they're not screaming."

She grabs Safiya violently, drags her out of the study, and into the tent where Ro is, before pushing Saf to the ground. 

"Watch over her for a bit. I need to discuss things with the others."

Turning back around, she leaves without another word.

 


	3. Investigations Without Many Benefits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safiya, tasked with watching over Rosanna, learns what the clowns have in store for her, as well as a possible fate for herself.

For a few moments, Safiya simply stares at Rosanna, sleeping on the piles of pillows and blankets, holding onto a stuffed dog and smiling. Envy fills the Investigative Reporter; though she does value her experience, at the same time, she does wish she could go back to a time where she had as much idealism and innocence as Ro does now. How she keeps it Safiya wishes she knew.

Beside Ro is an ice cream bowl about half empty. Safiya checks herself; it's been a while since she's had something substantial to eat, and though ice cream isn't necessarily substantial, it does contain calcium and the sugar could probably keep her energized, even for just a small amount of time. She grabs the bowl, and takes a sniff; it's vanilla with a hint of brownies, and is that cotton candy as well? Safiya shrugs it off; she's seen much stranger things tonight.

She goes in for a sip when she hears an adorable yawn from beside her; it sounds like a kitten yawning. Looking to her right, she notices Rosanna stirring. All of a sudden, she feels a tug at her heart. She's only known Ro for a few hours, but something inside her feels the need to hug and protect her.

"Huh?" Ro groans.  
"Where am I?"

She looks up.

"Safiya? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she nods.  
"You?"

"I'm alright. Why are you holding that?"

She points to the half-full bowl in Safiya's hands. Her face looks slightly concerned.

"I was just gonna give it a try. Is that okay?"

"I mean, sure," Ro shrugs.  
"It's just that after I ate it, my mind started fogging up and then I blacked out."

A chill rushes through Safiya's spine. She's not entirely familiar with the science and chemistry of food and how people react to it, but she's pretty sure that ice cream isn't supposed to make your mind foggy and knock you unconscious.

"You know what? I can wait," she replies quickly as she places the bowl far away from them.

For a few moments, they sit in silence. From the other room, they hear muffled conversation. Safiya tries to shake it off, after all it's not her business, but after some time, she can't suppress her curiosity. Crawling over, she leans her ear up against the door. She can just make out what they're saying

 _"---back-talking me. I mean, can you believe the nerve of that bitch?"_ the clown leader scoffs as Safiya hears a bottle open.  
_"How's your prisoner doing, Sally?"_

 _"Oh, she's just the sweetest little thing!"_ Safiya hears her squeal.  
_"I fed her that clownie sundae. It should knock her out for a while. As soon as we're done here, I'm gonna go give her the suggestions."_

 _"What are those suggestions?"_ another clown, this one in a low-voice, asks.

_"I was thinking of making her believe she's my little girl. I've always kind of wanted someone to take care of, someone sweet and innocent and just downright adorable. And especially with the hypnotic drug in the clownie sundae, once I implant the suggestions in her mind, she'll for sure check all the boxes!"_

A pit forms in Saf's stomach. That explains the mind fog Ro experienced.

_"We'll need to make sure they don't cleanse any of the artifacts then," the clown leader reminds them.  
_ _"Cuz then once this damn town goes up in smoke, the guests will go along with it, and your suggestions will become permanent in her mind."_

_"Do you think it could work with Morticia?"_ another wonders.  
_"Maybe to get her to be even half as sweet as Little Orphan Annie?"_

_"Why would we want to do that? A strategist needs to be cunning, not cute."_

_"Yeah, about that,"_ the leader pipes up.  
_"I really don't think Morticia's smart enough to be our strategist. Though if I do say so myself, she's quite intimidating."_

 _"Imagine if Nicholas met her,"_ a fourth clown chuckles.   
_"You think he'd be scared?"_

 _"Nah,"_ the leader scoffs as Safiya hears one of them pop open another bottle.  
_"Nicholas isn't scared of anything. If anything, they could be equally as intimidating."_

 _"You know, that might not be a bad alternative,"_ another clown muses.

_"What might not be a bad alternative?"_

_"Well, you know how Nicholas has said he wants a queen to rule alongside him?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Maybe he'd like her. And maybe we could use the drug to turn her to the dark side."_

A chill runs through Safiya just hearing that. Scurrying away from the door, she grabs onto Ro's hand and pulls her up.

"Safiya, what's wrong?" Ro asks.  
"You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ro, we gotta get back to the others," Safiya exclaims quietly, but urgently.  
"Now."

Without another word, the two of them rush from the tent. Safiya tries to make sure she's as quiet as possible, but at the same time, her heart is beating at the speed of a hummingbird's wings. 

"Hey!" a voice snaps.  
"Where the hell do you two think you're going?"'

Safiya doesn't have time to look back, but she knows that it's the clown leader's voice. 

_But how did she get out here so damn fast?"_

"In here!" another voice calls out.

The two of them dash in the direction of the voice. It leads them inside a big top tent, and inside are Matt, Manny, Roi, and Calliope.


	4. Honestly, This Is Kind of Just Filler.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know it's probably not that good. I just kinda wanna get to Dark!Saf.
> 
> Should I do a Dark!Saf slice-of-life?
> 
> Or, I guess, slice-of-death? Slice-of-afterlife?

Immediately, Ro runs into Matt's arms. Calliope embraces Safiya.

"Are you alright, child?" Calliope asks.

"Yeah, just a bit shaken. What's going on?"

"We're trying to blow up some balloons," Matt explains.  
"But----"

But Ro's already dashing towards the helium tank. She picks up a balloon and begins to apply it.

"Uh, Ro..." Manny begins cautiously.

"Don't worry," she assures them.  
"I've planned a lot of parties, so I've had lots of experience with using helium tanks. I know how these work. This should be easy."

She applies the balloon and turns the nozzle of the helium tank. All of a sudden, there's a loud whoosh from the tank.

"Oh my God!" Safiya whispers.  
"That is so loud."

Ro hands the balloon over to Manny who ties it up. She applies another one and tries blowing it up more quietly, when all of a sudden...

**POP!**

Ro screams and everyone starts to hide when Sally Slaughter comes in. 

"Come out and play, little chickadee. Knock, knock!"

She continues to peruse the tent for a solid five minutes before leaving. Once that's done and Zero-G Man is in the air, a box opens up to reveal the spring.

"There's a note," Matt points out.

Safiya picks it up and begins to read it

_"This artifact requires one more piece to be replaced—“_

"Here's Sally!"

_Shit!_

Everyone begins to dash for the exit of the tent when--

"Peek-a-boo!" 

The clown in red plaid peeks out. Everyone tries to dash around him, but he's too quick. Except for Ro, who decides to distract them once again.

"Come back here!" the clown in red yells dashing after her, giving the others an opportunity to make a break for it. Except they all just stand there. 

"Go!" Ro yells before tripping over her Platform Oxfords.

"Ro!" Matt exclaims, running over to her.

"I'm fine. Just go!"

"No, I don't want to lose you again!"

"Matt, come on!" Safiya yells. 

But it's too late. Sally and the clown in red have Ro and Matt. Safiya, once again, is shocked. How are these clowns always two steps ahead of them? She feels like this wasn't supposed to happen. And she's so caught up in the scene that she doesn't even notice Luke coming up behind her until she feels a blow to the head. The world goes dark and silent.


	5. Bring Me a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being struck a blow to the head, Safiya wakes up in a circle of salt, Matt in a cage, and Ro in a pile of blankets and pillows, all three being watched by Crazy Sally. This can only lead to good things.....

_"Wake up, sleepyhead."_

There's a voice calling in the distance and a slight pressure on the side of her face. Safiya opens her eyes slightly, but her vision is blurry. She blinks a bit to adjust her vision, though she wishes she hadn't. In front of her is Crazy Sally, pinching her cheek.

"Oh good! You're still alive," she sighs in relief as she lets go and stands up.  
"I was worried Luke dealt you a fatal blow for a moment. Also for someone who looks intimidating awake, you look adorable when you're sleeping."

Safiya's eyes dart around her surroundings. She finds herself back in the disco tent. In the background, she hears the Chordette's  _Mr. Sandman_ playing on a slow record player, and the lights of the disco tent are flickering at random intervals. The whole ordeal is incredibly unsettling. Why is she here? They're not gonna make her marry Nicholas, whoever he is, are they?

"Safiya?" a voice groans.

Looking to her left, she finds Matt stuck in a cage. On her right is Ro in a pile of blankets and pillows. And looking down, she finds herself bound by ropes, and a circle of salt surrounding her.

"What the hell is going on?" Safiya asks.

Sally gives a psychotic laugh.

"You should know," she sniffs.  
"You were eavesdropping after all."

Hearing this, her blood runs cold. 

"You're not serious, are you?" she scoffs.  
"Me? Marry some guy I don't know?"

"He's not *just* 'some guy!'" Sally snaps, making all three of them jump.  
"He's the most powerful force in all of Everlock and soon, all of the world."

"You-Know-Who?" Safiya asks, remembering what Calliope was warning Janice about earlier. 

"Ooh, aren't YOU a smart cookie?" Sally giggles as she boops Safiya on the nose.  
"But he does have a title. The Carnival Master."

"You're gonna make me marry a Carnival Master?"

"Not A Carnival Master, Morticia. THE Carnival Master. For goodness sake, get it right. He's going to be your husband, after all."

"Never in a million years," Safiya scoffs.  
"Will I marry this Carnival Master."

"It's not THIS Carnival Master. It's THE Carnival Master!" Sally shrieks, throwing her bat onto the ground.

Ro gives a yelp of fright. Sally, gasping, goes over and hugs her.

"I'm so sorry, my dear," she coos.  
"Mommy didn't mean to frighten you."

"Leave her alone!" Matt and Safiya growl in unison.

"You're not her mom," Matt objects.

Sally, hearing this, giggles quietly as she stands up.

"Not YET," she says in a soft, sing-song voice as she grabs a bottle and pours it out onto a spoon.  
"But soon, she'll think I am."

Chuckling she returns to Ro.

"Open up, sweetie," she tells her gently.  
"Everything will be ALL better once you take this."

Ro purses her lips shut and shakes her head. 

"Don't make me bring out the Tickle Monster!" she tells her, wagging a finger.

The Tickle Monster? Safiya rolls her eyes. Ro may be small and cute, but she's probably a tough cookie, and certainly NOT scared of some gimmick parents use on their kids.

"Fine," Sally shrugs before turning to the entrance of the tent.  
"Bring in Rodney!"

All of a sudden, this giant, purple, snake-like creature with feathers emerges, causing Ro, Matt, and Safiya to scream. Using this as her chance, Sally places the spoon into Ro's mouth. The concoction falls down her throat. 

"What the hell was that?" Matt exclaims.

"Oh, that's Rodney," Sally says casually.  
"He's our resident Tickle Monster."

"That's not a Tickle Monster. That's just a straight-up monster."

"Don't judge him! Just because he's had a rough life doesn't mean he's a monster."

"Hey," a soft voice gasps.  
"This is amazing!"

They all turn to find Ro, smiling widely, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"May I please have some more?" she asks Sally, batting her eyes a touch.

"Isn't she adorable?" Sally squeals.  
"Of course you can have more!"

Sally feeds her another, and then another, and another. Soon Ro begins to look lost, almost like she's not there. Almost like her brain is in a fog.

"Ro?" Matt asks, concerned.  
"Ro, are you okay?"

"No, she's not," Safiya whispers frightened.   
"She told me she experienced this earlier after eating a sundae she was given."

"Oh, you mean my famous Clownie Sundae?" Sally asks innocently.  
"My, my, my, whatever about the sundae could've caused her to act in such a way?"

"You know very well what it was," Safiya growls.

She definitely has a few choice words for this bitch, but not before Sally leans in close to Ro to whisper

"And sleep."

With a snap of the fingers, Ro is out like a light as she falls onto the blankets and pillows with a smile on her face and Blueberry by her side.

"Ro!" Matt screams.  
"Ro, wake up!"

"She can't hear you," Sally tells him.  
"Until she wakes up, she only hears my voice."

Sally, leaning back in, whispers somethings that Safiya can't make out. They're too quiet for her to hear, but she can only assume they mean trouble.

After about five minutes, Sally stands back up and turns to look at her other two captives.

"And now, what to do with you two?" she asks knowingly.  
"Who to deal with first? Morticia or Mr. Detective?"

She hangs onto the silence of the moment, letting the suspense and fear sink into Matt and Safiya. All three of them know it; Matt and Safiya are trapped, at the mercy of this bat-wielding discount Harley Quinn clown woman. They're shaking and trying to rack their brains to figure out how they can avoid this, but they've got nothing.

But finally they get a response.

"I think I'll deal with Morticia first," Sally's voice oozes with malice.

Safiya's not exactly surprised, but she's not thrilled either.

"Hogan," Sally calls.  
"It's time."

The clown in red plaid returns, carrying with him what looks to be a faceless doll of some sort. He places it in the center of the circle of salt before grasping Safiya's hand. Sally, giggling psychotically, runs over and sits in the circle, grabbing Hogan's and Safiya's remaining hands. 

_We who reside in the circle of salt wish to communicate with the Carnival Master. With your spirit, we implore you to enter into the corpse in the center so that we might speak with you._

There's a flash of green light; it surrounds the doll, levitating it in the air. Three slits rip into holes; two into eyes and another into a mouth, one with sharp teeth.

"He's here," Sally whispers excitedly while Safiya and Matt watch on in horror.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been thinking; what if I have one of the characters get frustrated with me putting them through all of this and then one of the paths ends up being my own?
> 
> What do you think? You all want ETNMystic's path? Let me know.


	6. Follow Me Into the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safiya and the Carnival Master meet for......the second time?

As soon as the mouth finishes forming, a low, somewhat raspy voice creaks out from the doll as it faces Sally.

"Who called me?"

"Sally Slaughter and Homicidal Hogan," Sally giggles.  
"We believe that we have the solution to your imprisonment."

"I thought we were just gonna let Joey and his friends do the work for us."

"Well, yes, but I have a quicker way; one that won't require cleansing those artifacts. She's right behind you."

The doll, still in the air, spins around and stares at Safiya, the neon blue eyes burning into her soul.

"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," he says.

Hearing this, Safiya is majorly confused. She swears she's never met him in her life. 

"What's your name?"

"Safiya Nygaard."

The doll nods.

"Yeah, I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before. But enough of that. Let's get into it."

His gazes burrows deeper into her mind.

“Hmm, she’s rather intelligent. She loves black. She can sing too. That’s a plus.”

The rest he kind of mumbles to himself, so Safiya can’t make out what he’s saying.

“Who the hell is Tyler?” he growls.

“My boyfriend,” she replies candidly.

He huffs in dissatisfaction before continuing. After what feels like eternity, he turns from her and back to Sally.

“Well,” he coughs.  
“I’m rather impressed with this one.”

“Does that mean you want to marry her?” Sally exclaims eagerly.

He takes a moment, either to consider or to add suspense (Safiya’s assuming it’s both, at this point). But finally the damning phrase escape his mouth.

“Yes. She’s my bride now.”

Hearing this, Safiya feels her heart sink. Sensing this, the Carnival Master turns to face her.

“Come now,” he says gently to her.  
“Look at me.”

She does so reluctantly.

“Would it truly be so bad to be my bride?” he asks.   
"You barely know me, after all. I promise I’m a nice guy. I can give you everything you want and more. Knowledge, power, time, it’ll all be yours, Safiya. All you have to do is let me help you get in touch with your dark side. You’ll see that there is light in the dark, and that there’s nothing to be afraid of. All you have to do….”

One of the doll’s hands slowly rises up and begins to glow black.

“…..is take my hand.”

Safiya's eyes fall on Matt. Noticing this, the doll turns to the right.

"Who is that?"

"That's Mr. Detective," Sally answers.

"His name is Matthew Patrick, and he can answer for himself," Safiya retorts.

"No, he can't," the doll disagrees.  
"Once a communication ritual has begun, those outside of the circle of salt can't hear the ones inside it. Unless he can read lips, he has no clue what's going on."

Safiya's incredibly tempted to go to him and tell him what's going on.

"And don't try to get out," the doll interrupts.  
"You can't leave until the ritual's complete."

"Oh!" Sally exclaims.  
"By the way, I adopted this little cutie sleeping over there. Will she be nice to her after she takes your hand?"

 _What kind of question is that?_ Safiya thinks.  
 _Of course._

"I'll make sure she'll protect her," the doll says before turning back to Safiya.  
"We're wasting precious time. You'll be able to leave after you take my hand."

Safiya stretches her hand out to the outside of the salt circle, but suddenly feels a severe, sharp, electric shock, causing her hand to retract.

"What the hell?" she asks as she stares at her hand.

It's starting to turn burning red and it's already blistering. How could such a shock cause her hand to blister so fast?

"I told you not to try," the doll sighs.

Safiya looks back at Matt, who displays a mixture of worry and confusion. Safiya doesn't want to take the doll's hand, but he's right; she doesn't have a choice. If she tried to leave, she'd probably have her brain fried based on the shock she got on her hand. Sighing, she mouths "I'm so sorry" to Matt before slowly reaching out, and taking the doll's hand.

All of a sudden, a surge of power flows through her body. As her veins begin to glow black, her body is enveloped in a black aura; she grasps her head and cries out in pain as the surge travels up into her brain. All of a sudden, she feels herself being lifted into the air and she hears his voice in her mind.

_Let the power flow through you. Let it take over. Let the darkness take over. Know that there is nothing to fear, my dear._

Her clothes transform into a long-sleeved flowing dress with triangles cut into the sleeves and hem of the skirt. On her feet, black stilettos begin to form. A dark crown forms on top of her head and black gloves form on her hands. In her right hand, a tall, dark staff with a translucent orb appears and a black ring appears on her ring finger.

_Give into your dark side. Feel the liberation. No more social expectations. You’ll be free very soon._

Her lips turn midnight-black. Black eyeshadow forms and black eyeliner forms on her eyes. 

_Give in and accept me. Close your eyes. You’ll be in control now. No one will ever try to hurt you again._

Safiya feels a strong surge of power through her body as her mind begins to shift. Her dark side becomes more amplified. Her intelligence increases. And she feels a devotion to the Carnival Master envelope her mind. Then she feels a final jolt of power. The aura explodes and she slowly drops to the ground with her head low. The doll drops as the Carnival Master gives a final laugh which gradually fades out.

"Safiya?" Matt asks.  
"Safiya, are you okay?"

The clowns take several steps back. As Safiya regains her breath, she feels power coursing through her veins. It makes her feel absolutely amazing, invigorated, empowered. 

"Safiya is no more," she replies slowly in a lower, more powerful voice as her head rises.

Her eyes, now darker than before, are glowing with ambition.

“I am now the bride of the Carnival Master; I am the Dark Queen Morticia,” she announces in her new, deeper, powerful voice as she stands to her full glory.  
"Empress of the Night and Mistress of the Carnival.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for much more Dark!Saf.
> 
> I know her name is Morticia in this, but the name is still Dark!Saf.
> 
> I came up with the idea, as far as I know, so I get to make the rules.


	7. The Age of Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Queen Morticia awakens and so does Little Orphan Annie. 
> 
> Honestly, most of this is some cute Ro and Dark!Saf filler. It's my story. But there may also be some foreshadowing.....

The Dark Queen Morticia, free from her suppression, gives a victorious chuckle.

"Oh, it feels wonderful to be liberated," she sighs, her voice full of confidence.  
"I can't wait to bring this town down to our feet."

"Safiya?" Matt asks.  
"What is going on?"

"I am not Safiya, peasant!" she snaps loudly, causing Matt to jump.  
"I am the Dark Queen Morticia, and you will bow before me."

"Um, excuse me?" a sweet and soft voice asks.

Morticia turns around, and her eyes meet those that are like an innocent doe's. The Jetsetter has awoken from her slumber and, in spite of Morticia's malice, even she is not immune to this cute little muffin's aura and charm.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Rosanna continues.  
"But I'm not sure what's going on? Who are you?"

Her heart melts slightly and she gives the little one a small and gentle smile.

"Nothing you need to worry about," she answers her softly and kindly, almost motherly.  
"As long as you are with me, you shall be safe and sound. My name is Queen Morticia."

"You said it was da---" Matt begins.

Without looking behind her, Morticia blasts a small black ball of magic at Matt's mouth. He attempts to speak, but no voice comes out.

"Who is he?" Ro asks, looking at Matt.

Hearing this, Matt's face becomes crestfallen and Ro begins to feel sad.

"Is he okay? Does he need a hug?"

Morticia decides not to stop her. Ro rushes over to Matt and gives him a hug. As soon as she hugs him, Matt's face is much happier. It seems even the detective cannot resist the magic of cuteness.

"Sweet little Annie," Sally coos as Ro gives Matt a hug, putting a hand over her heart.  
"I envy her innocence."

"Are we going to free Nicholas?" Morticia asks anticipatingly.

"Soon. Very soon, your dark majesty," Sally assures her.  
"But we need more people for our league."

"Of course," Morticia agrees.

"We have a throne prepared for you in the big tent," Hogan tells her.  
"May we have the honor of escorting you there?"

"Yes, you may. Only if the sweet little one can come along as well."

"Annie," Sally calls out to her in a sing-song voice.  
"We're going to the big top."

"Coming, momma," Ro replies sweetly before giving Matt a kiss on the head, grabbing Blueberry, and then skipping over to Morticia.  
"Will you be my other momma?"

"Of course," Morticia giggles kindly as she pets Ro's head.

"Now I have two mommas!" Ro gasps eagerly as they leave the tent. 

* * *

 

Arriving at the tent, after a few stops because Ro wanted to keep exploring the town, they find that it's very elegantly decorated. Morticia's throne is on a leveled platform, and already the clowns are setting up a throne for Ro and a smaller one for Blueberry. Ro skips up to her throne, while Morticia glides up to her throne.

"Why couldn't I go explore the rest of the kingdom?" Ro asks, giving a cute little pout.

"It is not meant for you."

"What do you mean?" she asks tilting her head.

Giggling, Morticia takes Ro's face and cups it in one hand while using the other to pet her head.

"Oh, I do envy your innocence. My sweet little girl, the world is dark, cruel, and full of terrible people, ones who wish to corrupt your pure and delicate soul. Stay with me, my dear. Stay with me, and you'll never have to worry. Sally and I will keep you safe and sound from all those evil people, darling. Trust in us, and you'll have not a care in the world."

Ro looks into Morticia's eyes, taking in every single word. Her mind begins to rationalize it and deem it all as truth. Morticia and Sally, they'll keep her safe. The clowns will keep her safe. Nicholas will keep her safe. Everyone else will try to corrupt her, except maybe that boy she hugged in the cage. 

"I love you, momma," Ro tells her, giving her a hug.

"I love you too."

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

"I love you most....plus one!"

"I love you most plus infinity."

"Darn!" Ro sighs as she cuddles with Morticia, nodding off to dreamland. She feels so safe here. Everyone's her friend in here. No one will try to hurt or corrupt her.....


	8. 20 8 9 19_3 8 1 16 20 5 18_20 9 20 12 5_9 19_23 18 9 20 20 5 14_9 14_14 21 13 2 5 18_3 15 4 5.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Matt is still held captive, JC receives a letter containing a strange message.

JC isn't really sure what's going on. In the midst of all the confusion, they've gotten the spring and the song, but they've lost Safiya, Matt, and Ro.

Now they're apparently supposed to pick cards for someone to go into the first death challenge.

"Jinkies, guys," Nikita sighs nervously.  
"I didn't come here to die."

"Do you think we did?" Colleen exclaims.  
"I came here for a collab."

"I honestly had nothing better to do," Teala shrugs.  
"But it also did sound like fun."

"When are we even gonna vote?" Nikita groans.  
"Calliope, you said there were cards with our faces on them?"

"There were," she exclaims softly.  
"But I can't find them anywhere."

"Great," Joey groans.  
"Even the voting cards are gone. How much more are we gonna lose tonight?"

All of a sudden, there's a knock on the main door of the arcade, causing them all to jump. Stealthily, Calliope creeps over to the door and then returns. In her hand is an envelope.

"What's that?" Joey asks.

"I'm guessing it's a letter," JC replies.

"Yes," Calliope confirms, handing it to JC.  
"A letter for you."

JC looks a bit shocked. Who would be writing to him in the year 1978? Then he looks on the back and notices that it's addressed to The Hippie. Flipping it back over, he opens the envelope and pulls out a note.

"What's it say?" Colleen asks.

JC reads it to himself first.

Or, at least he tries to.

"It's mostly just a bunch of numbers and punctuation," he shrugs.

Joey, in disbelief, looks over his shoulder.

_To Be Read Only By The Hippie,_

_23 5  8 1 22 5  13 18 . 4 5 20 5 3 20 9 22 5._

_9 6  25 15 21  23 9 19 8  20 15  19 5 5  8 9 13  1 12 9 22 5  1 7 1 9 14,_

_3 15 13 5  20 15  20 8 5  2 9 7  20 15 16  3 9 18 3 21 19  20 5 14 20._

_14 15  15 14 5  5 12 19 5  3 1 14  3 15 13 5  23 9 20 8  25 15 21._

_4 e 3 o 4 e  a 12 o 14 e._

"Who's it from?" Roi asks.

"It doesn't say," JC shrugs.  
"I'm gonna have to take a few to myself. I'll be able to think better that way."

* * *

 

Grabbing a pencil nearby, JC heads into the main portion of the arcade; setting the letter down on the pinball machine, he decides to use the envelope as scratch paper. 

"Let's use what we've got," he sighs.

He really wishes Matt were here to help him. And anyway, what would Matt do?

"What WOULD Matt do?"

His mind focuses on the bottom phrase:

_4 e 3 o 4 e  a 12 o 14 e._

It seems a bit odd that both letters and numbers show up in that phrase. Could each number mean some sort of letter? He notices that all of the letters in the phrase are vowels. He decides to separate the letters from their numbers. Writing them out, he gets 

__e_o_e  a_o_e._

That's as far as JC gets. But why would they just sprinkle in letters? 

He then decides to look at the numbers. They all equal a value between 1 and 25. But why? What could apply to---?

And then it hits him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JC figured it out. But what about the rest of you?


	9. Grapes and Tiaras

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna be honest; most of this is Morticia being badass and motherly. 
> 
> Oh yeah, and someone else arrives.

Morticia waits expectantly with her little cutie beside her. She also observes the other clowns from time-to-time; the leader is working on sharpening her blades. Hogan and Luke are playing some sort of card game. High Tower is beside Morticia, fanning her and holding a plate of grapes. Sally is taking a break from smashing pieces of glass with her signature bat and is now cuddling with Ro.

"Where is that Metalhead Mickey?" Morticia demands.  
"He was supposed to have delivered the letter by now."

"I assure you, your majesty," the leader stammers, as even she's intimidated by Morticia.  
"He should be on his way."

"I certainly **HOPE** so," Morticia sniffs.  
"Or YOU'LL be the one to pay for his misdeeds."

"O-of course," she squeaks.

"Can I please stop holding these grapes?" High Tower asks politely with a whining undertone.  
"I think my arm is gonna fall off."

"Let it fall off then," Morticia replies curtly.  
"Until then, you have no excuse."

"Momma," Ro asks sweetly.  
"Will I have to hold plates of grapes like High Tower?"

Smiling softly, she turns back to Ro and pets her head.

"Of course not, love," she assures her kindly.  
"A princess shall not have to do such menial labors, let alone MY little princess."

"Wait," Ro gasps.  
"I'm a princess?"

"Of course," Morticia tells her.  
"I am a queen and if I am your other mother, then that makes you a princess."

Hearing this, Ro's eyes begin to twinkle. 

"May I have a tiara? Please?" 

"Anything for Everlock's Little Darling. You!" 

She points to the leader, who jumps and drops a blade on her foot; it stabs into her shoe. Grumbling, she tries to pull out the blade.

"Get my little princess a tiara."

"B-but, y-y-your majesty, we don't have any crowns, let alone a tiara."

"How ever will you solve that?" Morticia growls sarcastically.

"M-make one?"

"Then DO IT!"

Scurrying like a mouse over to the card table, the leader snatches the cards.

"Well, you heard her! Go make her princess a tiara, you little---!"

"LANGUAGE!" Morticia snaps.  
"We have a pure soul with us, you know."

Huffing, she turns back to the two clowns.

"Go make the beautiful princess a tiara please," she tells them, grimacing.

Sighing, Hogan and Luke stand up and began to clomp over to the tent entrance. 

"Quick. Like bunnies!" Morticia tells them.

They try to quicken their paces, but clearly she is not satisfied. Forming a ball of black magic, she hurls it at the two. In their places are two bunnies. One is a honey-golden bunny wearing red plaid and a matching hat. The other is a black and white Mini Rex with a green tuft and tail and donning a little red and white, polka-dot bow tie; both of them have cherry-red noses. 

"They're so cute!" Ro squeaks.  
"May I keep one? Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Not yet, sweetheart," Morticia tells her.  
"They have work to do."

Frightened, the two of them scurry out of the tent. All of a sudden, Morticia has another idea.

"You know what would be wonderful for this cold weather?" she asks High Tower.

"Hot cider?" 

"No, but good guess. I was actually thinking; what if we were to construct an 8 foot long wearable scarf?"

"A what?"

"You heard me. Make me an 8 foot long wearable scarf!"

"We don't have the yarn."

Shrugging, Morticia replies "I think I can solve that."

She snaps her fingers and High Tower suddenly feels a breeze on her head. With the palm leaf still in her hand, she touches her head and gasps.

"My hair!"

"It's not your hair any more."

Another snap of the fingers and the hair appears once more; only this time, it's in black woolen yarn. With a final snap of the fingers, Morticia transforms High Tower's old hair into an 8 foot long scarf/sock thing before slipping it on her feet and over her body. The second it slips on, she hears

_Today, I will be cosplaying as Sockfiya._

She's taken aback as a voice echoes in her mind. It sounds a lot like her own, but it can't be; her name isn't Sockfiya.

_What superpowers do you have?_

This time it's a male's voice.

"Tyler?" Safiya asks quietly in her normal voice.

_Absolutely none._

She's not quite sure what's going on, but she feels quite afraid.

"Your majesty?" Sally asks.  
"Are you alright?"

Snapping back into the present, Morticia turns to face Sally.

"Of course," she sniffs.  
"Of course I'm alright."

For a few more moments, she can't help but think about that. How did she know the name of the man's voice? Who is Sockfiya? And why does she not possess any sort of magical ability?

"Your majesty?" the leader coughs.  
"Metalhead Mickey has returned with the guest."

Mickey steps inside before revealing the curly-haired man dressed in somewhat 60s clothes. JC Caylen.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to user Canyoufeelanything for solving most of the letter from the last chapter.


	10. Of Clowns and Guests.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JC has come to claim Matt, but what happens when he's offered to join the clowns?

"So," Morticia sniffs as he arrives.  
"I see you solved the code."

"Safiya?" he asks confused.  
"What the he---?"

"LANGUAGE!" she spits, covering Ro's ears.

"Ro's here too? What is going on?"

"I am not this Safiya peasant," she announces.  
"I am Morticia, and this is my little princess."

JC's incredibly confused. It's like he's gone into an alternate universe of some sort. 

"Whatever, where's Matt?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You said if I wanted to see him alive, I had to come here."

"Oh. That?" Morticia laughs.  
"That was more of a lure than a promise."

JC, sighing, turns to leave, but is blocked by Mickey and the leader.

"Wherefore are you going?" Morticia asks knowingly as she pets Ro's head.  
"We've only just begun."

The two clowns grab him and bring him to face the queen once more. 

"You lied to me!" JC exclaims angrily.

"Sally, please take my little princess out of the room for a few moments. I have a few *choice* words I'd like to use."

"With pleasure."

Once Sally and Ro leave, Morticia turns back to the fuming Hippie.

"Oh, that wasn't a complete lie; you'll get to see him alive again," Morticia assures him.  
"After you join us."

"What the hell makes you think I'm going to join you?"

"Because if you don't, I shall be forced to take.....other measures."

Gesturing to two other clowns, JC sees that they're dressed in surgical gear, holding what looks to be dangerous and rusty surgical equipment. 

"Suppose they were to drag you into an operating room. Suppose they were to cut open your skull for a little.....procedure. But suppose a tool were to 'accidentally' slip and damage your brain, or better yet, cause such irreversible damage that it may just be.......fatal."

"You can't be fucking serious," JC growls in a mixture of anger and horror.

"I am. You can choose to not join us, but you better be DEAD serious about that decision."

JC's stomach flips upside down. Did Safiya just seriously threaten to kill him? He doesn't want to die, but he also doesn't want to work under an evil Safiya. She's downright intimidating. He's torn, incredibly torn. 

"Tick tock," Morticia taunts him.  
"3......2......"

"JC! Don't join them!" two voices yell.

Whirling around he spies that the others, including Matt, have managed to find him. 

"Guys! How did you find me?"

"Calliope found the letter that you got and decoded it," Colleen explains.

"So," Morticia huffs.  
"I see you all lack the ability to follow simple instructions, as I stated that the letter was for the Hippie only. Fortunately I expected you to stick your noses where they don't belong, and now one of you shall face punishment."

With a snap of her fingers, a giant carnival wheel appears with multiple sections. On each section is a nickname, one of their nicknames.

"I shall spin the wheel of punishment; if it lands on one of your sections, it will be taken off of the board. Once all of your sections are gone, you'll be safe. The final guest who remains on the board will become the next to die."

"Hell no!" Colleen objects as she turns to leave.  
"I'm not playing this."

"I would also like to mention," Morticia adds forcefully.  
"That if you forfeit the game, you forfeit your life."

This makes Colleen's blood run cold. 

"Okay, let's talk this out," Joey suggests.

They gather in a group, along with JC, who is also on the wheel.

"Are we really going to play this?" Teala asks.

"I mean, it doesn't really seem like we have a choice," Matt sighs.  
"If we all forfeit, they'll probably kill all of us."

"Okay, but we're all still up for elimination," Roi reminds them.

"Yeah, but this way, we all have at least an equal chance of survival. Look," Matt says pointing to the wheel.  
"Each of us is on that wheel 3 times, and there are 8 of us. 8 guests on the wheel 3 times each is 24. Then you divide the number of chances per person, 3, and the total we just figured out, 24. That gives each of us a 12.5% chance of dying and an 87.5% chance of survival. And each time it lands on your name, your odds of dying go down. So when---"

"Ohmigod!" Nikita groans.  
"Enough with the math talk. Can we just get this done?"

"She's right," Manny sighs.  
"If we don't get this done before sunrise, we're all screwed."

Breaking from the group, Joey is the one to speak up.

"Okay," he agrees.  
"We'll play."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you believe will be the one to die from the Wheel of Punishment?


	11. The Wheel of Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 8 guests, a wheel, and 3 chances of dying per person.
> 
> The Wheel of Punishment shall claim another victim tonight.

Hearing this, Morticia gestures to one of the clowns in surgical wear. They go over to the wheel as Morticia leans back in her throne.

"Let the games begin."

As the wheel spins for the first time, Matt is a little nervous. There's literally no strategy to this. With a wheel, everything is set up beforehand. Everything is decided for you. You have absolutely zero control over the outcome, and when it's your own LIFE on the line, that's incredibly terrifying. All he can do is hope luck is on his side.

The wheel slows to a halt and lands on its first section.

"The Hippie!" the clown spinning the wheel calls out.

With a snap of the fingers, the section is wiped blank. JC breathes a sigh of relief. Even though he's not out of the woods yet, his odds of dying are much lower. 

The wheel goes around and around a second time.

"The Daredevil!"

Now it's Roi who can breathe a bit more easily. He knows that luck can't be on everyone's side, and while he also knows that he still has a chance of staying on the wheel, he has a higher chance of living.

* * *

The wheel goes around several more times, each spin causing the guests' hearts to beat in their chests. Each time the wheel lands on their name, they feel a few muscles unclench in their bodies. Eventually three of them get down to one section a piece; Nikita, Roi, and JC. 

Matt, unlike the aforementioned, is incredibly nervous. There are four guests, including him, who still have three sections on the wheel; he's in decent company, though, as his group includes Teala, Colleen, and Joey, all of whom are also petrified to the bone with fear. 

"Mr. Half-Dead!" the clown calls out.

"Wait, who's Mr. Half-Dead?" Matt asks confused. 

Everyone turns to look at Joey.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Teala wonders aloud. 

Joey is now twice as scared. He didn't tell them that he's still technically dead. Sweat beads down his hands, but thankfully the wheel takes center stage.

"The Gal in Red!"

Teala feels a little weight lift from her stomach. Before this she was infused with fear when she heard about this wheel. Now her chances of dying are down. Maybe she can prove her use to the group. No, she WILL.

_If I get out of this alive, I'm gonna be the most useful member of the group. I swear on it._

* * *

Soon most of the group is down to one section a piece, except for Colleen and Matt who are paralyzed by terror. The wheel spins once more and the two are shaking in their shoes. 

"Hottie in Brown Sparkles!"

Finally she can breath just slightly. She's still feeling so sick to her stomach, but as of now, she doesn't have the highest chance of death anymore. 

Matt, on the other hand, feels his heart rate increase. He hasn't been called yet, and part of him feels like he should just forfeit the game entirely. but the sensible part know that he still has some sort of a chance. 

The wheel goes around once more, the ticks of each nail passing under the wheel stopper sounding like ticks to the clock of someone's death, which is actually kind of accurate. 

"The Hippie!"

JC feels so incredibly at ease as a clown ushers him off to the side. He's the first one off of the wheel entirely. He's going to come out as a survivor of this wheel of death. But Matt.....oh, Matt.....

_Oh God. Please let Matt get called. He's a good guy. He's incredibly smart. We NEED him to get out of this Hell Town._

"Mr. Detective!"

Almost immediately, his prayers are heard and answered. Matt's first section is taken off of the board. Speaking of Matt, the second he hears his nickname being called, he feels a rush of semi-relief. He's not out of the woods quite yet, but he and Colleen now have an equal chance. 

_I'm gonna come home tonight, Steph and Ollie. I promise!_

* * *

Teala is the next off the wheel and she nearly cries into JC's arms when she's ushered over to his spot. She's definitely not gonna go back on her promise. She has a new flame inside of her and she's ready to fuel it even more.

Following her is Nikita, who tries to stay composed, but a rush of relief prompts a few tears as she stands by the other two. The only one she really cares about making it out alive is Manny. He's her best friend. She prays to any deity she can think of for his survival.

_If he's still left on the wheel, I'm going to HURT SOMEONE!_

Matt's name comes up again and he is so relieved. For the most part, he has an equal chance of living. Most everyone has one section left, so he could die, yes, but his odds of survival are equal with most everyone.

Inversely, Colleen is petrified when she hears Matt's name being called. Now SHE'S got the highest chance of dying. Her knees are nearly knocking against one another. She's not ready to die; there's so much she still wants to do.

Roi's soon knocked off the wheel.

"Whoo!" he cheers as the clown ushers him over.  
"I'm not gonna die!"

Now there are only five sections and four people still on the wheel; Matt, Colleen, Manny, and Joey, and two of those sections belong to Colleen. Tears are streaming down her face. She debates just saying her prayers right at this moment, because she's not sure she'll make it. 

Following Roi is Manny and Nikita cheers so loudly.

"Yes!" she cries as he comes over to them, tears streaming down her face.

She embraces him in a big Ro-styled hug.

"I was so scared that you---" she begins, speaking through tears.

"Bitch, I would never leave you behind," he assures her.

While he's trying to reign her enthusiasm in, the wheel goes around once again.

"Hottie in Brown Sparkles!"

Matt and Joey feel a pit form in their stomachs. Colleen's odds now match theirs. Each of them has a single section each.

The pressure is on.

* * *

The wheel goes around once more and everyone's hearts are beating in their chests. 

"Hottie in Brown Sparkles!"

As soon as she's escorted over to the side, Colleen collapses in tears of relief. Teala comes over to her and hugs her.

"Oh my God!" Colleen cries.  
"I totally thought I was a goner."

Meanwhile Matt and Joey are nearly about to drop in fright. Each of them have a 50% chance of death, and both of them are praying that it's not theirs. Even though they don't want the other to die, they also want to live.

 _Please,_ Matt begs, nearly crying.  
_I NEED to make Ro remember who I am. I need to hear her laugh again. I need to see her smile. I need her hugs. My wife has a child on the way. I can't leave them._

"This is the last spin," Morticia announces.  
"The one still on the board shall die."

 _Thanks,_ Joey thinks sarcastically.  
_I didn't know that._

The wheel goes around for the final time and everyone's on the edge. Soon it begins to slow down, until it finally lands on a section.

"It's Mr.........."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think will be the last one spared?


	12. Not Tonight!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is the last to be spared. And someone is going to die.

".....Half-Dead!"

Hearing his nickname, Joey feels a huge pressure lift from his shoulder as he's escorted over to the others. They all hug him and celebrate for a moment. The town needs him to survive and now he has a chance of being brought back to life. But then he looks over at Matt and it hits him.

_He's going to die._

* * *

 

Matt nearly drops to the ground in defeat. He's lost. He's going to be killed. Tears begin to form in his eyes as he thinks about all of the things he'll never get to see or do; he'll never get to see Ollie, hear his first words, play a video game with him for the first time, see him walk, see him on his first day of school. All of that was ahead, waiting for him, waiting for all three of them, and these damn clowns just took all of that and more away from him with a stupid wheel.

"Well," Morticia asks coldly.  
"Are you ready to die?"

Matt doesn't give an answer. He gave up the second he heard the word "half."

"I'm so sorry," he apologizes tearfully.

"Matt," Joey chokes.

"Matt, we're gonna miss you," Nikita says somberly.

JC, meanwhile, looks on in despair. He knows that Matt's got a wife and a child on the way. He's got a cat waiting for him. It hurts too much to see him just drop in defeat like that. Rage begins to fill him. How the fuck is this fair? He knows that life isn't fair. He's been told that so many times, but if he's got the power to make it fair.......

He knows what he has to do.

"Not tonight!" he yells as he dashes up the steps to the throne. 

Immediately he tackles Morticia, as she didn't anticipate the attack. Hearing the commotion, Matt looks up.

"JC?" he calls out.

"Go!" he yells to him.  
"Get yourself somewhere safe!"

Teala's the first to act. She goes over and offers a hand to Matt. Taking it, he and Teala dash out of the tent along with the others. Behind them they hear the sound of guns going off, blades being stabbed, and JC yelling in pain. The last thing they hear before they rush off is a body drop to the ground. 

* * *

Dashing back into the arcade, they find Calliope and Mortimer waiting for them. She spots Matt, looking especially shocked, and embraces him.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure," he replies panting.

"Wait," Mortimer exclaims.  
"Guys, where's JC?"

The seven guests look at each other and Teala's the first to speak up.

"JC's.........dead. The clowns killed him."

"Oh God..." he whispers.

"We didn't even get the jack head," Nikita adds.

"Really?" Teala snaps.  
"JC just sacrificed himself to save Matt and all you care about is the stupid jack head?"

"That 'stupid' jack head is what's going to help us survive, dumbass!"

"Enough fighting!" Joey exclaims, even though there was barely any fighting.  
"We need to figure out our next move."

"We need to save Ro," Matt pipes up.

"Um, what about the jack head?" Nikita exclaims.   
"Ro's probably fine with Crazy Sally. She wouldn't hurt her, right?"

"Sally's unpredictable," Mortimer pipes up.

"Speaking of unpredictable," Colleen exclaims.  
"Safiya's apparently now a dark queen."

All of a sudden, Teala begins to feel a bit woozy.

"Teala, are you okay?" Matt asks.

The room begins to spin slightly as she nods.

"Yeah," she gasps as she stands up and stumbles around.  
"I think....I think I just need some air."

* * *

Outside the arcade, Teala begins to feel relief from her bout. The moon is full and clear and the wind is a nice chill. She goes over to the carousel and sits on the platform. 

Before this whole incident, she heard the group talking about putting her up for the death challenge because she wasn't doing anything. Now....she still hasn't done much, but she did help Matt up. It might not be much, but it's a start.

 _Baby steps, Teala,_ she tells herself.  
_Baby steps are better than no steps._

All of a sudden, she hears the pounding of a foot. Straight ahead of her is a pink rabbit tapping its foot. 

"What the heck?" she wonders.

Slowly standing up, she approaches the rabbit. As she bends down to pet it, it laughs squeakily and runs off.

 _Wait,_ she thinks.  
_Did that rabbit.....just.....laugh?_

She hears the tapping again. It seems the rabbit wants her to follow it. She's torn between her common sense and curiosity, the former telling her to not follow the strange pink rabbit and the other telling her to see where it takes her.

"Well, Alice" she sighs.  
"Guess we're going down the rabbit hole."

* * *

Eventually the rabbit leads her past a strange arch, almost shaped like a devil's mouth, and towards a white building; it looks like a chapel. 

The rabbit pushes on one of the doors and it creaks open. Teala, deciding that she's in too deep to turn back, follows it inside. The floor of the chapel is covered in grass and dry leaves. But the thing that stands out most to Teala is a giant block of amber, glowing a hypnotic orange. 

All of a sudden, she feels something nudge her. She takes a few steps forward only to feel it again, and again, and again. Before she know it, the rabbit has nudged her until she's only a few inches away from the amber as soon as she does, a dark vapor slithers into her ears, fogging up her mind.

_Touch the amber._

A voice compels her. Teala, too fogged up to think, places a hand on the amber. The second she does, it begins to crack. Behind her is the sound of a poof. Turning around, she finds Ro, smiling.

"Hey, Teala," she says.

"H...how do you---?" she stammers.

Normally she wouldn't be asking Ro that, but something tells her that Ro's not herself, nor that she should remember her name.

"What am I doing here?" she asks as the amber begins to crumble.

"Oh, I wanted you to be the first to meet my dad."

 

 

 

 


	13. The Rise of Meutre Rouge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teala and the Carnival Master meet and he offers her a proposal. 
> 
> Needless to say, she doesn't have a choice.

Amber shards crumble around the dark structure, as Teala looks on in terror and Ro stares in awe. A creature with ram horns on his head and a glowing neon blue stone in his chest emerges from the mess, and Teala can tell that this creature is powerful.

"Oh," he groans.  
"It is so wonderful to be liberated."

Teala's knees are knocking together. This must be the Carnival Master.

"Teala," Ro pipes up.  
"I'm so sorry about the nausea. But I had to figure out a way to bring you outside."

"Wait," Teala exclaims whirling around to face Ro.  
"YOU caused me to feel nausea?"

She nods apologetically. 

"I was the one who, let's say, compelled you to touch the amber," the Carnival Master adds.

"But why me?" Teala whimpers.

"Because you're naive. And people underestimate you."

Naive? Her? She doesn't really like to think so. Underestimated? Maybe.

"But I can help you," he tells her as he holds out a small, circular, glowing, rose-gold crystal.  
"I can help you make them see that you are more than you seem. That you're not to be trifled with."

"I was actually hoping to do that myself," she says as she slowly walks backwards before turning around and rushing towards the doors when---

_**THUD!** _

Teala hits the doors on full-force and falls to the ground. She lies there for a moment, trying to recollect herself when she sees the Carnival Master hovering above her.

"This way will be quicker," he growls.

That's when Teala gets the hint. She doesn't have a choice in the matter. She has to take the crystal. 

The Carnival Master holds out his hand and she takes it. Getting to her feet, she suddenly feels something in her hand. Opening it, her eyes fall on the rose-gold crystal. She then looks up and stares at the Carnival Master.

"Swallow it," he orders her.

Teala blinks, puzzled. Did he just say what she thought he said?

"Excuse me?" she asks.

"Swallow the crystal, Teala," he demands.

She looks back down to the crystal and then back to the Carnival Master. This might be one of the craziest things she's ever been told to do.

 _I don't really have much of a choice, though,_ she thinks.

Sighing she closes her eyes and places the crystal in her mouth. She nearly gags at the taste; a combination of blood, chlorine, and salt. A lot of salt. It's actually mostly salt.

 _Gulp it down, Teala,_ she tells herself.  
_Just gulp it down, and get it over with._

Bracing herself she sends the crystal down her throat. The aftertaste is no better.

From seemingly out of nowhere, she feels a sharp pain in her stomach. Doubling over to her knees, clenching her stomach, she feels something strange inside of her veins. It starts out lukewarm, but then gradually begins to heat up until nearly her entire body seems to be on fire. She cries out in pain as tears fall down her face, stinging as they leave their watery trail. 

The switch is rapid. It goes from hell-hot to arctic-cold in a matter of milliseconds. Her whole inside is infested with ice, except for her brain, which is still on fire; however this fire seems to be numbing her brain, opening it to suggestion. 

_Let the power flow through you, Teala._

Her outfit begins to shift into something similar to Safiya's. On her collarbone, she feels something emerge as her hair twists into two horn-like structures as well as a crown in between them. Her face morphs into one that's more cat-like.

_Don't be afraid. Give in to your new power._

A belt forms on the waistline of her sleek gown, filled with various demonic tools. The tips of her fingers morph into sharp, claw-like structures. Her ears become taller and more pointed.

Her mind begins to change. Her intelligence rises, as does her aggression.

And then it stops. Her head bows as she recollects herself.

"How do you feel?" the Carnival Master asks.

"I feel.....I feel..." 

All of a sudden, she stares at him. Her eyes are now bright red, all of her veins glow rose-gold, and in the center of her collarbone lies the rose-gold crystal.

"I feel. So. ALIVE!" purrs a catlike voice coming from her mouth.  
"I am Princess Meutre Rouge, lady of the blood and the idol of the undead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meutre Rouge is French for Murder Red, so.......
> 
> This can only lead to good things.


	14. More of Morticia Being a Boss-Ass Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family of Ro, Meutre, Morticia, and Nicholas is now united and a family outing is planned.
> 
> If you're afraid of body parts falling off and blood, proceed with caution.

Morticia lies on her throne in her giant scarf as the clowns hang JC's head above her. Two more clowns place an orb of light on a shelf down by the card table.

"Where is the little one?" she asks concerned.  
"She and Sally should've been back by now."

Suddenly Sally comes bursting in.

"Your majesty," she cries.  
"She ran away!"

"What?" she snaps as she pulls the scarf off. 

"She transformed herself into a bunny. I tried to catch her but she was too quick. I looked almost everywhere, but she was nowhere."

Fury pulses through her and Sally begins to tremble.

"You LOST her?" she yells as she angrily snatches a grape from High Tower's plate and stuffs it into her mouth.

_We have not eaten anything all day._

It's that man's voice again. The anger drops from her face.

"Tyler?" Safiya whispers.

_No, my priorities are food, food, and food._

_And water actually._

What the actual hell is going on? Why does the female have food as all three of her priorities?

"We.....were at Disneyland. It was....the day before my birthday."

"Well," a new voice purrs.

She looks up to see Nicholas.

"You're free," Morticia gasps.

He nods.

"I also brought along a couple of......allies."

Ro peeks through the flaps of the tent and rushes up to Morticia's throne.

"You're back," she gasps.

Ro, nodding eagerly, envelops Morticia in a hug, while Meutre slowly struts inside the tent, making some of the clowns stare. 

"Say, who's the new chick?" Mickey growls as he swaggers up to her.  
"Hey, honey, you wanna take this upstairs?"

"Take a picture," she purrs to him as she pushes him away.  
"It'll last a long time; I don't think the same can be said for you, though."

**~~*Airhorns Airhorns.* He needs some milk. (I'm so sorry).~~ **

~~~~The other clowns cackle as Metalhead Mickey blushes in shame.

"I'd advise you to watch what you say, Meutre," Morticia warns her.  
"Your sister is a pure soul."

"Oh, that WAS me watching what I say. Unless these clowns would like me to spell it out for them."

Morticia turns back to Nicholas.

"She's a real gem," he tells her.

"Yes," she smiles.  
"Both of our daughters."

"What about Lucy?"

"Who?"

"My biological daughter."

"You never told me you had a biological daughter."

"There are a lot of things I haven't told you."

"May I PLEASE put the plate down?" High Tower asks as tears fall down her face.  
"My arm is turning blue and green."

"Then LET IT," Morticia snaps.

All of a sudden, they hear a snap and High Tower's plate arm drops beside the throne.

"There," she groans as she begins to bleed out.  
"May I please take a break now?"

"No, use your other arm."

"But that's my fanning arm!"

"Then use your mouth to fan me."

Without a response, Morticia takes the palm leaf and places it in High Tower's mouth. With a snap of her fingers, another plate of grapes appears in her other hand. 

"Now fan me," she demands.

High Tower, with a groan, begins to slowly nod her head to fan the queen.

"Faster!"

Almost instantly, High Tower begins to nod aggressively as tears fall from her eyes, splashing on Morticia and Ro.

"What are you doing?" Morticia exclaims.  
"This is a throne, not a water ride."

With another snap of her fingers, she seals up High Tower's tear ducts. 

"That's much better."

"Momma," Ro says softly.  
"High Tower's still bleeding. I don't think that's going to go over well."

With a smile, Morticia ruffles her hair.

"Of course! How could I have forgotten?" she gasps.  
"You are SO smart."

With another snap, she raises High Tower's now-dead arm and reattaches it. It's still blue and green. 

"Well," she announces.  
"Now that that's taken care of, how about a family outing?"

"Ooh! Where to?" Ro squeals eagerly.

Morticia glances over at Meutre and smirks.

"Flint's Arcade."


	15. Blood Will Spill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lesson: When the lights go off, stay where you are.

Time passes as the remaining guests, Mortimer, and Calliope wait for Teala to return.

"Ohmigod," Nikita huffs.  
"Where the hell is that bitch? It's been like half an hour. How long does it take for nausea to settle down?"

"Well," Matt begins.  
"I suppose it would depend on----"

"I'm not asking for a lecture about nausea, genius," she interrupts.

He nods understandingly.

"Well, to summarize, it's different for everyone. She's relatively small, so it shouldn't take too long, I guess."

"Why would she get so nauseous so quickly?" Roi asks.

"I mean, we DID just hear JC die," Colleen shrugs.

"But wouldn't it have been instantaneous?"

"Not necessarily," Matt tells him.  
"Why are you questioning it, though?"

Roi shrugs.

"It just seemed too delayed and too sudden to be true nausea."

"He's right," Calliope gasps.  
"The timing matches up with magically-induced nausea."

"Magically-induced?" Manny scoffs.  
"Bitch, please."

"I've heard stranger things," Joey shrugs.

"So, should we, like, go see if she's okay?" Colleen asks.

"If you wanna get yourself killed," Nikita shrugs.  
"Be my guest. I'm staying here. This lounge has been the safest place to be the entire night."

All of a sudden, the lights begin to flicker.

"What the hell?" Joey asks.

"Oh God," Nikita huffs.  
"What is it now?"

In the dim-flickering light, Matt can *just* make out Roi sneaking out of the lounge. He tries to go after him, but the lights disappear completely. Little thuds echo here and there, but otherwise it's completely silent. After a few moments, they turn back on.

"Is everyone okay?" Joey asks.  
"Who's still alive? Colleen?"

"Here."

"Matt?"

"Here."

"Calliope?"

"I'm here."

"Mortimer?"

"Present."

"Nikita?"

"I'm here."

"Manny?"

"Here, bitch."

"Roi?"

There's no answer.

"Roi!" Joey calls. 

"What's happened to him?" Colleen exclaims.  
"Did he get taken?"

"Guys," Matt gulps.  
"I think I found him."

Crowding around Matt, the blood drains from their faces. Blood pouring from his sides, a pentagram carved into his chest and abdomen, is the Daredevil. And standing above him is the Dark Queen Morticia.


	16. Bear Hugged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family heads to Flint's Arcade to get their pick of fresh souls and Meutre avenges Teala.

"Well," Morticia announces.  
"Thought you'd be here."

"Safiya?" Joey exclaims.

She doesn't respond. Snapping her fingers, a jar appears in her hand and a small ball of light emerges from the pentagram and into the jar.

"What are you doing?" Matt asks.

"Harvesting his soul, of course," Morticia says matter-of-factly.  
"The more souls I have, the more corpses my new daughter and I can control."

"New daughter?" Joey asks.

Morticia steps aside to let Meutre strut forward. Nikita's mouth drops open at the sight.

"My wig has been snatched," she gasps.

Hearing this, Ro comes forward and snatches the wig off of Nikita's head. She chases her around for a bit.

"Manny, help me!" she exclaims.

With a nod, he stops Ro in her tracks and gives the wig to Nikita who pins it back on tight. 

"Teala?" Colleen asks.

"Silence!" Meutre snaps.  
"The old Teala couldn't come with us."

"Why?"

"Because she's dead. Meutre Rouge has taken her place, and soon your alter egos shall take yours."

"What makes you think you can take us on?" Mortimer exclaims.

"Because they have me," a voice behind them answers.

Hovering above the family is Nicholas.

"It's him," Joey exclaims.

"The Carnival Master," Calliope gasps in horror.  
"But how?"

"It was because of me," Meutre purrs as she struts over to Nikita, still busy repinning her wig.  
"And now, Teala would like me to give some payback for insulting her."

She whirls her around to face her and grabs her by the neck. Raising her hand, she launches it forward before stopping short of her face and pulling it back. She repeats this several times. As she does, a thin vapor evaporates and condensates into her hand. Nikita begins to turn pale and dark. 

"Get away from her!" Calliope exclaims.

She lunges at Meutre, but the attempt proves fruitless. Using her mind power, she sends Calliope flying back. Soon enough, she has an orb of vapor from the Troublemaker, whose body drops to the floor.

"Nikita!" Manny screams.

Ro, meanwhile, has spotted Matt and has attacked him.......in the form of a bear hug.

"You know, I've gotta say," he shrugs.  
"This is the cutest attack I've ever seen."

Meutre then takes Manny on and he drops to the ground. The rest of them try to run, but few make it past Morticia and the Carnival Master. Those who do face a barrier of clowns. Needless to stay, all are apprehended, except for Matt, who is still bear-hugged by Ro. Forgetting, the others leave. 

When Matt realizes he and Ro are alone, he tries to stand up, but Ro still has him in a bear hug.

"Ro, can you please get off of me?"

"But you're like a giant teddy bear!"

"Yes, I understand, but I need to save my friends."

"No! I wanna hug you forever and ever!"

 _That actually wouldn't be a terrible way to die,_ one part of him thinks.

But the other part tells him he needs to save them. He tries to break away, but she's got a strong grip. It takes him a few times, but he eventually breaks away and into a run with Ro chasing him. 

 


	17. The Funeral Pyre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up.

The corpses of Nikita and Manny lumber forth to the kingdom, with the help of Meutre and Morticia, while the rest of the guests and souls are being escorted back by clowns.

"Let us out, you bitches!" Nikita's soul screams as she bangs on the glass.

"Silence!" Morticia snaps.  
"Not until we are back shall you be allowed out."

"What are you going to do with us?" Roi's soul asks, trembling.

"What else would one do with souls," Morticia asks.  
"But corrupt and control them?"

"But I'm not a soul," Colleen adds.

With a chuckle, Morticia smirks at her.

"Not yet."

This makes Colleen's skin crawl.

"Mother," Meutre pipes up.  
"Where is my sister?"

Hearing this, Morticia comes to a halt.

"Shit," she gasps.  
"We left her behind with that detective."

Turning to Nicholas, he nods and Morticia runs off, but before she can get back in, Matt bursts through the door with Ro in tow. He runs past the group and seeing this, Calliope breaks from her bonds and rushes after him. 

"There she is!" the clown leader exclaims as she begins to let go of Colleen.

"Don't let her go!" Morticia orders.  
"Take her to the lair!"

Nicholas sends a burst of magic in their direction, but they duck just in time. Matt takes a detour around the group and jets into the drugstore, Calliope and Ro following close behind him.

"Should we get them?" Sally asks.

"Later," Morticia answers.  
"Take these fools to the lair.”

* * *

 

Matt’s heart pounds as he holds the door of the pharmacy closed, only to jump as Ro grabs onto him, hugging him.

“Are you alright?” Calliope asks.

“I mean, aside from the bear hug?” Matt pants.  
“A bit frightened. Do you know how to cure her?”

“That might depend on who did this,” Calliope sighs.

“Sally,” Matt says matter-of-factly.

At that moment, Calliope’s eyes grow wide.

“Sally Slaughter?”

Matt nods.

“Then it’s worse than I thought. Curable? Yes. But worse than I thought. Sally Slaughter was a student of hypnosis under the Carnival Master, meaning she has a lot of skill, more than I can express.”

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, setting it down on the counter.

“This should help create an antidote. However it must be precise.”

Matt takes a look at the piece of paper. 

“It’s all in….hieroglyphics?”

It’s a bunch of shapes, lines, and dots.

“It’s a combination of languages throughout time. The Society communicates with this.”

Matt then notices the symbol that was on Joey’s bag. 

“What is this society?”

“It’s a long story,” Calliope sighs.  
“I’ll read the instructions to you; just get what I tell you.”

* * *

About thirty minutes later, partially because Ro wouldn’t let go of Matt, they've gathered and combined all of the ingredients. The concoction is fizzing and smoking. On the rim of the goblet that they combined it in is crystal sugar.

“Is it….supposed to do that?” he asks unsure.

Calliope nods.

“Unfortunately, I’ve had to make this a lot. I know what it looks like. Now we must have her drink it. It’s very bitter, which is why the crystal sugar is necessary.”

Matt taps Ro.

“Hey, sweetie,” he smiles.  
“There’s some juice for you.”

He points to the goblet. Without hesitation, she chugs it down. Five seconds later, she drops to the floor.

“Ro!” Matt screams.

“It’s alright,” Calliope assures him.  
“This is part of the concoction’s side effects.”

A few moments later, Ro begins to stir. As she opens her eyes, her vision is very blurry.

“Wha….?” she groans as she slowly sits up.  
“Where am I?” 

“Is she cured?” Matt wonders aloud.

“I believe so,” Calliope answers.  
“I don’t sense even a trace of it.”

“Matt?” she gasps.

And that’s when Matt knows it’s worked. 

“Ro!” 

He grasps her into a hug.

“Where….are the others?” she gasps.

“They were captured by the clowns,” Calliope informs her.   
“We need to figure out how we can stop them and the Carnival Master before—“

“Wait,” Matt gasps, his stomach turning.  
“Do you guys smell smoke?”

A scream emerges from Ro’s throat as she spies the clown leader outside the entrance to the pharmacy. In her hand is a torch.

“Well, well, well,” she chuckles.  
“Looks like we’ve got some fuel for the funeral pyre!”

Calliope and Ro's faces go pale.

“What?” Matt exclaims.

He pushes Ro in front. If he can’t save himself, at least he can save his best friend.

“Even Ro?”

“Even her!” she spits in fury.  
“I am SO SICK and tired of bending to that BITCH of a dark queen’s will. She’s made High Tower go bald and her arm fall off, she’s turned two of us into rabbits, AND she’s made me scared of her. If this is what it takes to get her to surrender, then light ‘em up!”

Leaning down, she places the torch by the doorway and the flames begin to creep through the crack below.


	18. The Fall of the Dark Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which friendship IS magic.

Sitting in her “lair” as Manny, Nikita, Roi and JC’s souls lay in jars on a shelf, Morticia smirks in satisfaction. 

“Safiya! Let us out!” Roi screams.

“My name is Dark Queen Morticia!” she snaps.

“And I cannot let you out until we have properly prepared your vessels.”

“Vessels?” Manny gulps.

All of a sudden, a clown enters with an upright coffin with a glass lid. Inside is an embalmed corpse of one of the former citizens of Everlock. On the top, engraved in hardened blood, is the word MANNY is capital letters. 

“Bitch,” he gasps.  
“I am NOT going in there!” 

“Not yet,” she smirks.  
“First we have some business to take care of.”

She motions for two clowns and points to Sally Slaughter. 

“Bring her to me!” she orders them.

They grasp her by the arms and throw her before the throne.

“I commend you for converting the Sweet One to our cause. However your services, until further notice, shall no longer be required amongst the living.”

“Wha—what?” she whimpers, trembling in fear as a clown dressed as the grim reaper emerges carrying an electrified scythe.   
"Your majesty?"

"You're useless to me now."

"You---you're not really doing this, right?" she squeaks as tears begin to fall down her face.  
"My little girl needs me."

"She's MINE now. She was ALWAYS MINE."

While this is going on, the other guests watch on in horror, when Colleen pipes up.

“Hey, does anyone smell….smoke?”

Peeking behind the clowns, she sees the pharmacy  slowly being engulfed in flames and she remembers; Ro, Matt, and Calliope.

“Oh my God!” she screams.

She tries to break from the clowns, but they have her held back. Morticia notices this.

“Stay where you are!” she snaps.  
“Or I will burn the souls.”

“But—“

“No buts.”

“You—“

“Silence!”

Finally Colleen can’t take it anymore and nearly screams in fury.

“THE PHARMACY IS ON FIRE AND ROSANNA IS TRAPPED INSIDE!”

Morticia feels the blood drain from her face. At the same time, her makeup and clothes slowly begin to fade, transforming back into the Investigative Reporter. 

“What?” she asks.

“The pharmacy is on fire and Rosanna is trapped inside! So are Matt and Calliope!” Colleen repeats.

Without hesitation, Safiya jumps off of the throne.

“What? No!” Nicholas snaps.  
“Take my hand!”

“NO!” Safiya hisses back.  
“My friends are in danger!”

The clowns find themselves confused. This isn’t how the dark queen is supposed to act. Before she goes to the exit, she sees the electrified scythe coming down on Sally and tries to push the reaper clown out of the way. She feels a shock on her arm, but tries to brush it aside as she gets back up. The clowns attempt to grab onto her. 

“Morticia, you’re not feeling well,” Nicholas purrs, trying to manipulate her.  
“This isn’t how you should be acting.”

“Go to hell!” Safiya spits as she grabs the glass containers and ducks underneath the circus tent. Like hell, she dashes towards the burning building where she can hear screams and sees the clown leader blocking her way.

“Let me through!” she orders her.

“Go to hell, Morticia!” she snaps.  
“You’re not my boss.”

She takes out another torch and match, setting it ablaze. 

“Tonight you’re gonna burn in the funeral pyre.”

Safiya’s mind goes into hyperdrive and formulates a potential plan. 

“I don’t think it’s me who’ll burn!” she announces as she pushes her hands forward, sending the clown leader flying backwards.

A tail of her coat catches a bit of the flames and she breaks the crackling silence of midnight. Soon she becomes a raging fireball as she tries to both put herself out and lunge at Safiya. She falls to the ground, rolling around to put out the flames while Safiya flings open the door to the pharmacy.


	19. The Clowns Here Killed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I do an almost complete 180 on a character.

 

“Ro! Matt! Calliope!” she yells.

“Safiya!” Ro exclaims.  

She tries to run towards her, but the counter burns off of its supports and falls in front of the doorway, as the flames overtake the entirety of the wooden fixture.

“Shit,” Safiya exclaims.  
“Shit, shit, shit, shit!”

“What now?” Matt calls out as he and Calliope try to avoid falling pillars of flames, only to find themselves trapped in a corner

“Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, I suppose,” Safiya shrugs.  
“You first Ro.”

“But what about Matt and Calliope?” she exclaims.

“We’ll be fine!” Matt assures her.

Honestly he isn’t sure, but it’s better for him that she escapes. Ro, meanwhile, has her mind on hyperdrive as she quickly weighs the morals of the situation. With a determined nod, she steps towards Calliope and Matt.

“Ro?” Calliope asks.  
“What are you doing?”

As soon as Ro nears them, she holds out a hand.

“Grab on,” she orders Matt.  
“I’ll pull you over.”

“No, you need to get out of here,” Matt tells her.

“Matt, just grab—“

“Ro—“

“I’m not asking.”

“Just go——“

“I’M NOT ASKING!”

Matt is taking aback by Ro’s sudden anger, as is Calliope.

“Grab my flipping hand!” she orders him. 

Without thinking, he grabs ahold of it and Ro pulls him over. Once he’s safely over the debris, she holds her hand out to Calliope.

“Go,” Calliope tells her somberly.  
“Save yourselves.”

"Just grab my hand."

"Ro--"

“I’m not asking, Calliope,” Ro growls.  
“Take my hand.”

“Ro—“

“TAKE IT!” 

Tears begin to fall from Ro’s eyes. Reluctantly Calliope grabs ahold of it. Once they’re over the debris, she helps to guide them to the front.

“Safiya, can you help me get them out please?”

“Yeah,” she complies soberly.

She holds out her hand to Matt who is the first to step over. At Ro’s insistence, Calliope is the next one out. Safiya reaches for Ro when suddenly she hears a yell and feels a burning sensation. The clown leader jumps her and tries to get her away. Calliope rips off some cloth from her dress and tries to put out the clown leader while Ro attempts to step over the counter, but the flames keeping getting higher and higher. Looking around the pharmacy, which is mostly burnt, she sees an axe on a high shelf with the blade facing away from the wall.

_This is crazy, but it might work,_ Ro thinks as she approaches the nearby shelf. 

She takes a fist and tries to punch the axe off of the shelf. Each time she does, the axe gets closer to falling, and looking up, Ro realizes that the top of her head is right in the line of descent. So if that axe falls….

She tries not to think about it, but her heart is pounding with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings. As the flames climb closer and closer to her, the axe is about halfway off of the shelf and is beginning to lean downward. The blade glistens in the firelight as it approaches Ro. 

_One more should do it._

She has to do this quickly. Mustering up all of her strength, she gives the bottom of the shelf a good punch. The axe falls forward as Ro tries to jump back. 

Embracing for the impact, she closes her eyes and the axe descends.

* * *

After a few moments, she can still hear the crackling of the flames. Opening one eye, she looks down to see the axe just an inch or two away from her body. Her dress has a slight vertical tear, but thank goodness! She’s still alive.

Before the flames can reach it, Ro picks up the axe and begins to hack into the nearby wall. The flames tiptoe up behind her, lighting the heel of her shoe. 

After a few more hacks, she creates a hole large enough for her to go through. But the second she steps through the hole with the axe….

“HERE’S CLOWNY!”

A raspy, burning, but familiar voice hisses and crackles at her. Screaming and without thinking, she raises the axe and drives it right into the figure’s skull. The fiery apparition falls to the ground, blood gushing, with the axe still stuck in the skull. But it’s no apparition, and it hits her.

_Did I…..just......?_

Gasping, her face growing pale, Ro runs to the front of the pharmacy with tears in her eyes. Her suspicions are confirmed; the burning clown leader is nowhere to be seen.

_Oh no……This can’t be real…..No, I…..I….._

She refuses to believe it. She would never. Not on her life would she. But deep down, she knows what the truth is.

Letting the axe fall from her hands, her stomach begins to flip and her vision begins to fade. Dropping to the ground, infested with nausea, everything grows black and silent.


	20. Struggling, Disappointed, and Impatient

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ro's struggling, J.C.'s disappointed, and Nikita's impatient.

_Ro?_

An echoing voice brings her from her stupor and comatose state. Her eyes slowly flutter open to see a woman with black hair in a red sweater, as well as a brunette-haired man in a bronze leather jacket.

“Ro? Oh good. You’re awake!” Matt breathes in relief. 

She finds herself back in the Divine Lounge. As her consciousness regains, so do her memories and tears begin to fall from her face.

“It’s my fault,” she squeaks.  
“It’s my fault.”

“What is?” Safiya asks, concerned.

Ro can barely bring herself to say the word.

“I just…..she was right in front of me and I didn’t want to burn to death, so……”

“Ro, it’s okay,” Matt begins.

“No, it’s not okay!” she blurts out.  
“I murdered her! I murdered the clown leader!”

The full realization of this truth hits her in the gut. Holding out his arms, the Detective lets the Jetsetter weep into his arms as Safiya rubs her back. 

“I just……I feel really guilty….I knew I wouldn’t be….able to get through the doorway because the flames were too high,” she cries muffled as her face in buried in Matt’s jacket.   
“So I got an axe and tried to chop through the…..the…..the wall and then she was in front of me and……I didn’t think. I didn’t know what else to do.”

There are a few more moments of silence before Ro says something that makes Safiya and Matt’s faces go paper pale.

“I should’ve just stayed in the pharmacy. I should’ve burnt to death.”

“No!” Safiya and Matt nearly scream in terror.

“Ro, you did what you had to do,” Matt tells her, his eyes now welling up with tears.  
“I’m glad it was her and not you. I’m glad you didn’t stay in there.”

Four sets of footsteps enter the lounge. 

“What happened?” Colleen exclaims as Joey, Mortimer, and Calliope follow close behind.

“Ro’s struggling,” Roi’s voice says, causing everyone to jump.

They all turn to find the four souls still in their jars on the coffee table. 

“Oh,” Safiya exclaims.  
“Sorry, I kinda forgot you were there.”

“Eh, it’s fine,” Roi’s soul brushes off.

“Does it have to do with the pile of ash by the burnt pharmacy?” Joey asks.

“The clown leader is dead,” Calliope sighs.

“I killed her,” Ro squeaks.

“What?” Colleen and Joey exclaims.

“No, you didn’t,” Joey scoffs.  
“There’s no way."

“It was an accident,” she cries.

“I’m actually shook,” Manny’s soul exclaims.

“Wait, guys,” JC’s soul says.  
“What time is it?”

Mortimer checks out the window.

“The sun’s peeking from the horizon.”

“Great,” Joey sighs.  
“We’re dead.”

“Not yet,” Calliope announces.

The others turn to her in astonishment.

“The power that the Carnival Master has regained for breaking from the amber is contained in Teala. If she can be swayed into turning from him, his power will fade.”

“How do we do that?” Colleen asks.

“Someone must talk her out of joining them.”

“Wait, Calliope,” Matt pipes up as he looks at Ro, tears still blurring her vision.  
“You know that hypnosis that Sally has? Is there a milder form that can erase traumatic memories?”

Calliope calculates the possibility before nodding slowly. 

“It’s a possibility that Sally could use her power to take away the memory.”

“Okay, but what about us?” Nikita spits impatiently.  
“We’re still trapped as souls.”

“Wouldn’t we just need to find our bodies and go back into them?” JC asks. 

“That would be the most likely course of action,” Calliope informs them. 

Safiya, baring her teeth in a “oh-shit-i-done-fucked-up” kind of way, sucks in some air.

“Ooh, that might be a bit tricky for you, J.C.,” she tells him.  
“Because I may or may not have decapitated you and hung you on the wall of the clown tent.”

Saying this last part very quickly, she hopes that J.C. isn’t too angry.

“You what?” he asks incredulously.

“Technically, it was Morticia who decapitated you, but I’m the closest thing to her.”

There’s a moment of silence before a sigh comes from the jar.

“Safiya….”

“Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just……disappointed.”

All of a sudden, they hear a slap against the window. Safiya runs out to find a bloodied mangled corpse dressed in emerald with a note attached to it. Going outside, she slips her hand between the window and the corpse to snatch up the note, reading 

_Where is Mother?  
_ _Where is Sister?  
_ _You know Father  
_ _He does miss her._

_Bring them back  
_ _and bring them pure  
_ _or this town  
_ _is doomed for sure._

She doesn’t recognize the handwriting, so she decides to look at the clues in the note.

“Mother, sister,” she whispers to herself as she heads back inside.  
“‘You know Father/He does miss her.’ Teala?”

Heading back into the lounge, she sighs.

“Well, it looks like Manny might not have a corpse to return to.”

“Bitch, why?”

“I…..don’t think you’d like to see.”

“So now what?” Colleen asks.

Safiya looks around at the group and realizes; this is all on her. If she hadn’t become the Dark Queen, she wouldn’t have murdered them and Ro wouldn't have been traumatized.

Sighing, she realizes she has no other choice. 

“I’m gonna go find Teala.”


	21. Wisps of Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I really want to do my own branch where I'M a character in ETN season 3 and the clowns let me go to.......whatever happens to me.
> 
> What do y'all think?

A few minutes later, she returns out into the clear early morning, the sun rising over the horizon. Suddenly she hears two more sets of footsteps. Whirling around, she sees Ro and Matt catching up to her.

“Guys, what are you doing?”

“We’re gonna help you,” Ro tells her.  
“Calliope said Teala needs to be convinced to come back over to our side. Maybe we can help.”

Safiya smiles and shakes her head.

“Thanks, but I think I need to do this alone.”

“I dunno, Saf,” Matt replies concerned.  
“Calliope told us that the Carnival Master is rather persuasive. I’m not saying that you’re not mentally strong, but it does help to have backup.”

“Is there anything I can say to convince you two otherwise?”

“Nope,” they both reply in unison.

She huffs and smiles. Their persistence, while a bit annoying, is also somewhat endearing.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

* * *

They arrive at the…..tent? Well, it’s seem to have now turned into a castle. It’s composed of dark brick, thunder is crashing, lightning is striking, it’s an evil overlord's paradise. 

As soon as the three of them step up to the doors, they swing open and once they’re inside they close behind them, but not before flinging them to the throne room where Nicholas waits expectedly.

“Well,” Nicholas greets them curtly.  
“I see you’ve decided to rejoin us.”

Matt’s still overcoming the shock of being flung into the throne room. Ro is quaking in her Platform Oxfords. It’s Safiya who speaks up.

“Actually, we’ve come for Teala.”

“Who?”

Safiya sighs.

“We’ve come for Meutre.”

“I know why you’re here,” the voice of Meutre wafts firmly as she prowls forward.  
“And my answer is no.”

“Teala—"

“No!” Meutre exclaims.  
“I’m not going back. The darkness has summoned me and I must stay.”

“You don’t have to listen to it, Teala. Please come back. We need you.”

“That’s a lie!” she spits venomously.  
“I know you all think I’m useless!”

“That’s not true! You just as useful as the rest of us.”

She stares into Meutre’s eyes, cold and infuriated. 

“I’ve seen into the future. The future that will be if I help you. I’ll go on to be voted in challenge after challenge until I’m annihilated.”

Safiya is flabbergasted.

“How did you—?”

“I have my sources.”

“Teala,” Ro pipes up as she timidly shuffles forward.  
“Safiya’s right. We don’t think you’re useless.”

“Not now you don’t, but you will. If I go back with you.”

“We don’t want to leave you.”

“Then leave  **them**.”

Ro is confounded. 

“Them?”

“Calliope, Colleen, Joey, leave them all. Let your inner evil emerge.”

Safiya glances over at Ro, trying to imagine what an evil Rosanna would look like, but this task proves next to impossible. The Cinnamon Roll Jet Setter doesn’t have an evil bone in her body. The closest thing to an evil Rosanna would probably be those jumprope girls from the Freddy Krueger movies or a Stepford Wife, and even that’s debatable.

“Teala—“

“These are my terms. I’ll accept no other. Either you leave them or leave me.”

Tears begin to form in Ro’s eyes.

“Teala,” she sniffles.  
“If you come back, I’ll make sure they don’t think you’re useless.”

“What makes you think you’re going back to them?” another voice laughs.

Startled, Ro yelps as Sally emerges from the shadows. As she closes in on Ro, Matt steps in between them.

“Leave her alone,” he growls at Sally.

“Oh, look at that. Mr. Hero.”

“Take me instead,” he retorts with a sigh.

“Matt!” Ro exclaims frightened.

“I don’t want you to be taken by them.”

“I don’t want you to be taken by them either!”

All of a sudden, Ro feels a pull on her body and she begins to feel weak. Safiya and Matt whirl around to see Meutre pulling out white wisps that form into an orb. 

“Teala, stop!” Safiya yells.

“What are you doing to her?” Sally screams in shock.

The world begins to grow dark. Sound begins to diminish its volume. Ro can’t remember a time where she’s felt this weak. She tries to fight against it, but it persists. She’s about to succumb when——

“Teala, stop!”


	22. Blunt Force Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There will be blunt force trauma.

The Detective, Investigative Reporter, and Super-Spy-Turned-Dark-Lady turn and freeze as Colleen, Calliope, Mortimer, and Joey burst through the doors. Ro’s soul, previously hanging in suspension between her body and Meutre’s hand, draws back into her body. She gasps as consciousness reenters her body and mind. Matt grabs a hold of her to get her steady.

“Are you okay?” he asks in concern.

“A bit winded,” Ro gasps as she tries to catch her breath.  
“That took a lot out of me. Otherwise I'm okay."

“Well,” Nicholas sniffs.  
“I never thought I’d see you, Calliope.”

“Let them go,” she replies firmly.  
"Please."

“Whether or not they get to go free is up to my daughter.”

Calliope runs at Meutre, but the red lady throws out a hand, entrapping Ro in a bubble.

“Come any closer,” she warns.  
“And she loses her soul.”

Ro, trembling, looks out into the group.

“Ro!” Joey exclaims before turning to Meutre.  
“Let her go!”

“Teala, please,” Safiya begs her.  
“You need to come back with us. No one in this group will think you’re useless.”

“Lies!” she screams.  
“It’s all lies! The Carnival Master showed me the truth. You all will think I’m useless and vote me into every challenge.”

“But is that really a reason to hold Little Orphan Annie hostage?” Sally asks.  
“She’s my daughter after all.”

“No!” Meutre hisses.  
“She WAS your daughter. Now she’ll be my pet.”

Ro shivers in her floating bubble as tears form in her eyes, but tries to suppress the screams.

“Teala, please,” Colleen pipes up.  
“Just let Ro go. We won’t bother you again.”

“Liar,” Meutre replies in an imitation of Colleen’s voice so exact that Colleen feels a chill run through her.   
“You especially are the worst out of the females, Colleen. All you do is cause drama.”

“Says the one who’s holding Ro hostage for no good reason,” Joey scoffs.

She turns to Joey.

"You brought us all here to die! Therefore you’re no better than I am!”

A pit begins to form in Joey’s stomach. She’s right. That’s the reason he brought them to Everlock in the first place.

Ro is shocked.

“Joey……is that….true?” Matt gasps.

"No," Ro exclaims in a low voice.  
"No, it can't be. That can't be the truth. She's lying, right Joey?"

The Savant can't bring himself to make eye contact with Ro. He doesn't deserve to look into her eyes. He doesn't want to. His eyes are coated with betrayal and if Ro were to see that, she might lose faith in him.

"Tell them, Joey," Ro squeaks as the tears fall.  
"Tell them that this isn't true! This isn't you!"

"He's condemned you all to die by his own free will," Meutre explains.  
"I was forced to become this way. Is he any better than I?"

Ro begins shaking her head, first only slightly and then gradually becoming more apparent. It's as if she wants to shake this memory right out of her head. 

"No. No. No!" she gasps.  
"No, it's not true. It's not. I won't believe it! I won't!"

"Naivety isn't always a treasure, little one," Nicholas chuckles maliciously.  
"Your 'friend' here has been keeping secrets. More than you wish to believe."

"And if you don't stop crying," Meutre hisses at Ro.  
"I'll suck out your soul entirely and send it to Hell!"

A loud silence fills the room. Not one person has ever threatened Rosanna Pansino with the possibility of sulfur, fire pits, everlasting torment, and weeping. Everyone's blood runs cold until a small giggle from Sally breaks through.

“They’re all gonna die,” Sally pipes up her voice quivering with insanity her volume rising.  
“They’re all gonna die! THEY’RE ALL GONNA DIE. EXCEPT FOR LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE! I’M GONNA KILL YOU! I’M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU USELESS BITCH!”

She charges at Meutre who tries to throw Sally against the wall, but Lascivious Luke and Metalhead Mickey manage to hold her back. 

“What’s the matter?” Sally asks as Meutre looks up at her with fearful eyes as she realizes she’s been overpowered.  
“Where’s the fearless Dark Lady?”

Meutre, panting, glances over at the Carnival Master.

“Dad,” she whimpers.  
“Save me please.”

He stares at her for a few moments before gradually breaking into a villainous smirk.

“Save yourself, bitch,” he purrs maliciously.

Meutre’s heart begins to race as Sally raises her nail-covered bat above her head. After a few moments, she brings the hammer down. Meutre closes her eyes, bracing for the impact. She hears a whack, but doesn’t feel anything. Opening her eyes just in time, she sees a woman with a brown jacket and red sweater, her head bludgeoned by the bat, as she falls into Meutre’s lap.


	23. Destiny's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for Feel-O-Rama!

Meutre is overwhelmed. This doesn’t happen. This isn’t supposed to happen. She and Safiya fight on different sides. So why did she just take the blow meant for her? It makes no logical sense. 

_Let me out. Let me out._

A bit of the old Teala is still in her mind. 

_Please. I have to talk to her._

There’s a strong pull on her mind and soon enough, Meutre gives in, letting Teala half out.

“Sofia?” she squeaks.  
“Are you okay?”

Safiya stirs slightly and Meutre/Teala breathes a sigh of relief. The blow to the head hadn’t killed her.

“Teala?” Safiya asks weakly, her voice slightly hoarse.  
“I see….I see a light.”

“Why Sofia?” Meutre/Teala asks.  
“Why did you take the blow? That was meant for me.”

“Because,” she replies slowly.  
“You have value to me. I wouldn’t take the blow for…..someone I thought……was useless or for someone I….didn’t care about.”

A smile, a genuine smile, begins to climb up Meutre/Teala’s face as a tear rolls down it. 

“Take……care…..of yourself,” Safiya tells her.  
“And know that…….there are people….who need you.”

She looks up to the ceiling and breathes a sigh, releasing a stream of wisps that form into an orb and hover in midair.

Meanwhile Meutre/Teala unknowingly releases the bubble prison as Safiya’s soul emerges as its white orb. Ro rushes over to Safiya’s body.

“Saf,” she chokes as she picks up one of her hands, lifeless, limp, and cold.  
“No, it can’t be. She’s not…”

“I’m….afraid she’s……dead,” Meutre/Teala chokes.

The closer she comes to crying, the more Teala emerges. Meutre fights back, but Teala is persistent.

_Think of all of the power._

_I don’t want your stupid power! I want Sofia back alive! I want you gone!_

Meanwhile, Rosanna has covered her face with her hands. She weeps over the corpse of the Investigative Reporter. Why did this have to happen? It’s not fair! It should’ve been her, not Safiya!

“Ro?” 

All of a sudden, she feels a soft hand on her shoulder. The Jet Setter, gasping, looks up as she hears a familiar, yet slightly echoey, voice. Turning around, she sees Safiya; her wisp form has been replaced by a full body form. 

“Please don’t cry,” she assures her.   
“I’m gonna be in a better place. A much better place.”

Ro tries to hold back the rest of her tears, but this proves to be a feat of near impossibility. Safiya opens her arms and Ro runs into them, weeping her golden heart out.

“I…..I wish I could go with you,” she sniffles. 

“There might be a way that you can,” Calliope exclaims.  
“In fact if you all want to, there might be a way we can all transcend into the next life.”

They begin to walk out when from out of nowhere, flames block their path.

“I’m afraid I can’t let you leave,” Nicholas chuckles viciously.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” a voice pipes up.

Whirling around, the group spies a girl in a red coat and brown jumpsuit push herself upright.

“Meutre?” Nicholas asks in shock.

“Sorry, the old Meutre can’t be here right now,” Teala exclaims flipping her hair.

“Why?”

“Because she’s dead!” 

With this distraction, Calliope takes out a shotgun and shoots at the Carnival Master It takes a few shots, but sure enough he falls to the ground. 

“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Nicholas growls.   
“This whole damn town is gonna burn once I die, and you along with it, for eternity.”

Joey, all the while, has been distracted by the gem inside of his chest. With him lying face up on the ground, Joey runs over and snatches up the crystal.

“He’s right,” Sally sighs.  
“We're gonna burn as soon as his soul leaves his body. Teala, I’m sorry about earlier. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

Matt, seizing this opportunity, whispers into Teala’s ear. 

“Maybe not to me,” she exclaims.   
“But could you maybe make a weaker form of that innocence potion for Rosanna please? Matt told me she went through something traumatic.”

Sally thinks this over.

“I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, I suggest figuring out how to avoid getting your souls stuck in Hell.”

“What do you mean?” Joey asks.

Calliope takes over this time.

“The Carnival Master’s fire will transport any soul caught in it directly to Hell. To avoid this, we’d have to die beforehand.”

“Wait,” Matt stammers.  
“So we’d have to commit suicide?"

“Why don’t we just get the potion now and then leave?” Colleen suggests.

“I’m afraid that might not be possible,” Sally sighs.  
“If I don’t have a weaker form of the innocence potion, I’ll have to make it and by that time, the hellfire will have surrounded the edges of Everlock.”

“It’s okay,” Ro sighs.  
“We’ll just go then.”

Matt looks into her eyes. This whole ordeal has stolen some of that idealism from her. There’s regret, guilt, and shame in her eyes. He knows she wouldn’t be able to live with herself, with the knowledge that she killed someone. It would weigh so heavily on her and he’s worried about how far that would push her. To total depression or worse. He can’t stand even the thought of her suffering like that.

“No,” he tells her firmly.  
“We’re not leaving without it.”

“Matt, we don’t have to.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Matt—“

“I CAN’T STAND TO SEE YOU SUFFER LIKE THAT!” he snaps.

Tears form in his eyes and, despite his attempts to hold them back, he crumples to the floor in a heap of tears and broken spirits. 

“Ro,” he begs.  
“I know you. You’d have felt guilty even just voting someone into a death challenge. I’m worried about the guilt of having murdered someone….what if it leads you to……to….?”

He can’t even bring himself to finish the sentence. It forms a ball in his throat and roots itself within. It’s something he’d never thought he’d have to worry about with Ro, but this guilt……he doesn’t want to risk it driving her to do it.

“But if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die,” Ro argues sadly.

“But we’d at least die together,” Matt weeps.

“Besides, there’s really no point in us leaving,” Joey shrugs.  
“Even without the innocence potion, five people are dead.”

“And three of them don’t have bodies they can return to,” Safiya sighs.

Guilt begins to weigh on her conscience now. She realizes that two of those body mutilations were because of her. Her as Morticia, but still her. If there are any of the guests who deserve to be taken by the hellfire, she’s one of them. Tears begin to form in her eyes as well until she too breaks down.

“Safiya?” Ro exclaims as she and Teala rush over to the ghostly reporter.

“It was my fault,” she weeps.   
“I decapitated JC and drew that pentagram on Roi’s body. I'm the reason they don't have a body to return to. I deserve to burn in the hellfire.”

“No, you don’t!” Colleen, Matt, Rosanna, Joey, Sally, Teala, Mortimer, and Calliope all exclaim terrified.

“You saved me from being bludgeoned to death,” Teala assures her.

“You were kind to me when I was under the innocence spell,” Ro reminds her.

“And you saved me from the pharmacy fire,” Matt adds.

“And I,” Calliope pipes up.

“I’m boarding with Teala,” Sally sighs.  
“Anyone can say they’d take a blow for their friends, but you had the guts to actually do it. Well, actually they say they’d take a bullet for them, but you get the idea, right?” 

Sniffling, Safiya nods sadly as she slowly stands back up. 

“Matt, even if we don’t make it out alive, would it make you feel better if I took that potion?” Ro asks concerned.

He nods.

“Okay. I’ll take it."

“And maybe one for me,” Safiya sighs.

“And one for me,” Teala adds.  
“But for Ro for sure.”

“I’ll meet you all at the arcade,” she replies.

Sally rushes off to look for a milder version of her potion.

“You do realize what this means, right?” Calliope asks them.

They all nod.

“We’re all probably gonna die,” Rosanna sighs.  
“Is there a painless way we can go?”

Calliope considers this.

“I think I have a way. But first, we should release the souls that have already been extracted from their bodies."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, in case you can't tell, more feels are coming up. Get your tissues.


	24. If you love something.......

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Carnival Master defeated, the group realizes they don't have much time before the fire consumes the town, sending it to Hell. So, as the saying goes "If you love something, set it free."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: It's October 13th in both 2018 and 1978. Just keep that in mind. You'll see why it's important in a bit.

About ten minutes later, Joey, Matt, Colleen, Calliope, Mortimer, Teala, the ghost of Safiya, and Rosanna return to the lounge. There, still on the shelves, are the souls of JC, Roi, Manny, and Nikita.

“Where were you?” Nikita asks concerned.  
“And why do you look so…..defeated?”

The group glances at each other with tired eyes. The sun’s rising in the distance and out of the corner of her eye, Calliope can see the fire emerging from the castle, which is now destroying itself. 

“Safiya, what happened to you?” JC asks.

Smiling sadly, Safiya sighs.

“It’s a long story, but……we’ve decided we’re going home.”

“Home?” Manny asks.  
“Like back to 2018 home?”

Matt shakes his head.

“We’re going to a different home,” he clarifies with a sigh.

Teala, Ro, Colleen, and Matt each take ahold of a jar. 

“Nikita,” Teala gulps as she looks into her jar.  
“I’m sorry. About killing you.”

“Bitch, it wasn’t even you who sucked my soul out of my body.”

“But it was, in a way. And now it’s time for you to go.”

“Wait, why are you taking me outside?”

“I’m setting you free.”

“I’m not a butterfly.”

“No,” Teala agrees as she unscrews the lid.  
“But where you’re going is much nicer than a cocoon or a jar.”

Nikita’s soul becomes caught by a gentle breeze, sending her out of the jar.

“Teala?” she exclaims concerned.  
“Am I going to the afterlife?”

She nods.

“I’ll see you there soon,” Teala tells her.

And with that, the Troublemaker flies beyond the clouds. 

* * *

Ro takes ahold of Roi’s jar. All of these people, all of the souls they’re releasing, they all died when she was under the influence of the serum, so she has no clue how any of them died. 

Roi’s reluctant to say how he died, though, and she’s not gonna pressure him to say so. 

“I’m sorry, whatever happened to you must’ve been painful.”

“It’s fine,” his soul sighs.  
“I just wish I’d had more time to help the group.”

“Well, now it’s your turn to be helped.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

She unscrews his jar lid and he flies out.

“What about you guys?” he asks worried.

“We’ll be fine,” she assures him.  
“We’ll see you soon.”

Satisfied, the Daredevil blasts off into the sky.

* * *

Colleen has Manny’s jar.

“What can I say?” she asks as she takes him outside.  
“Ro and Teala said some sort of goodbye before releasing Nikita and Roi."

“Sometimes there’s really nothing to say,” he responds.  
“And if what I’m getting at is right, it’s not a good bye. It’s a see-you-later.”

Sighing Colleen closes her eyes and nods.

“Yeah,” she replies, giving a sad smile.  
“It will be.”

Unscrewing the lid, Colleen watches Manny’s soul lift from the jar. 

“Manny!” Nikita’s voice from up above calls.  
“Get your ass up here!”

“Bitch, I’m coming,” he laughs.  
“I’ll see you later, Colleen."

And with that, the Record Producer goes to join his friend.

* * *

Finally Matt takes out JC’s jar.

“Why?” he asks.

“Why what?” JC retorts.

“Why did you intervene? You were the first one off the wheel.”

“You’ve got a family, man. I couldn’t let you leave them.”

“So does this mean it’s gonna be in vain?” he questions sadly.

“Nah,” JC laughs despondently.  
“Without you, I don’t think we would’ve gotten Ro out of that spell.”

After the lid is unscrewed, JC is about to float up into the sky.

“JC,” Matt calls.

The orb stops and hovers in midair for a minute. Matt, giving a sad smile, continues

“Thanks for saving my life.”

“No problem. I’ll see you on the other side.”

And so the Hippie goes.

* * *

After staring into the sky for a few moments, the four of them head back inside and stare at the others. On the coffee table are eight syringes filled with a green liquid.

“Well,” Colleen sighs.  
“I guess this is it. I never thought I would die here."

“Is this….gonna be quick?” Matt asks Calliope.

“Yes,” she replies.

“But why are there eight?” Joey questions.

He counts off those still living; Mortimer, Calliope, Teala, Ro, Matt, Colleen, and himself.

“We only need seven.”

“No, we need eight,” another voice announces.

Stepping into the doorway is Sally with three doses.

“Wait,” Matt gasps.  
“Are those the——?”

Sally nods.

“Then we can still go home!”

“No, we can’t,” she sighs.

“Yes! Yes! We can!”

Without warning, he rushes out of the arcade with Ro in tow, but skids to a halt when he sees that the entrance is already wreathed in fire.

“Matt, stop!” Ro tells him.

“We can jump the flames,” he assures her.

“No, we can’t, Matt.”

“Yes—“

“We’ll burn.”

“No, we can jump them!"

“MATT, STOP!"

He gets ready to jump, but Ro, though little she may be, holds him back with a firm grip, tears falling from her eyes. He struggles against her, but she’s strong.

“Matt, stop!” she cries.  
“It’s not going to work!”

“No!” he yells angrily, as tears come to his eyes.

Safiya, meanwhile, has followed the two and is now approaching them, helping Ro hold Matt back.

“No! It’s gotta work!”

Soon enough the strength leaves his body and he collapses in a heap of tears. Ro and Safiya kneel beside him, a hand on each shoulder, Safiya on his right and Ro on his left.

“I can’t leave Steph and Ollie,” he weeps softly.  
“I don’t want to leave them.”

“I know,” Safiya tells him gently.  
“I don’t want to leave Tyler and Crusty.”

“And I don’t want to leave Molly or Cookie or Henry,” Ro adds as she stands up.   
“Or Molly’s baby.”

Hearing this, Safiya and Matt stand up, looking at her in shock.

“What?” Matt exclaims in disbelief.

Smiling sadly, Ro nods softly, twiddling her thumbs as she looks down at her hands.

“I was gonna be an aunt,” she replies quietly, trying to choke back her tears, a lump forming in her throat.  
“I couldn’t wait to hold him for the first time and….see his little face…”

She trails off as her voice squeaks. Safiya and Matt embrace her as the tiny brunette.

“Ro, I’m so sorry,” Safiya tells her, trying to choke back tears of her own.

“It’s fine,” she replies quickly.  
“Let’s get back to the arcade. I just wanna get this over with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It gets worse in the next chapter.


	25. Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do (Especially with the rapidly-nearing threat of being swallowed by Hellfire if they don't kill themselves first)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they realize the only escape is the inevitable, the rest of the group basically decides "Fuck it" and ascend to the afterlife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the Feels Train to Feel-O-Rama!

After they arrived with Matt at the arcade, they hear more crying. Rushing inside, they find Colleen in a heap of tears.

“What’s wrong?” Ro exclaims as she runs over to Colleen.

Colleen looks up at Ro with eyes almost as wide as her own.

“How could I forget?” she squeaks.  
“My son, if I die…….if I die…..”

She can’t bring herself to say it, and Ro doesn’t need her to. She envelops the Disco Dancer in a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Colleen,” she tells her, rubbing her back.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she blathers.  
“The sooner, the better.”

“She’s right,” Sally agrees.  
“The fire’s beginning to close in.”

Calliope grabs the syringes.

“Who would like to go first?”

No one’s eager to jump at the chance and everyone stays silent, glancing at one another, trying to delay the inevitable. Until finally, they hear a sigh.

“I’ll go first,” Mortimer volunteers, sitting down on the couch and taking off his jacket.

Calliope goes over and rolls up his sleeve.

“How badly is this gonna hurt?”

“It will be quick,” she assures him as she grabs an alcohol wipe and rubs his upper   
“This is fast-acting and relatively painless.”

He gives another sigh and glances at the group.

“Well, I’ll see you on the other side.”

Closing his eyes, he gives a smile as Calliope injects the syringe into him. After a few seconds, he gives a final breath before his body drops to the couch, Calliope helping to lie him down. That final breath releases a misty vapor that forms an orb.

“It worked,” the orb gasps in Mortimer’s voice before rushing out of the arcade.

“Well, that’s one down,” Sally replies.  
“Before I go, here.”

She gives Ro, Teala, and Safiya each a vial. 

“This should take away the memories that are haunting you.”

Grabbing the vials, each of them take a sip. The memories come to the front of their minds, the distress visible on their faces, but then, peace.

“It worked,” Sally gasps happily, tears running down her face.  
“My momma was wrong. I CAN do good, after all.”

The three of them, Rosanna of course being the first one, envelop her in a hug.

“Thank you, momma,” Ro whispers before giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

Sally looks up at Calliope with resolute and joyful eyes.

“Let’s go,” she declares quietly. 

Calliope rolls up her sleeve, disinfects her arm, and injects her. Sally falls to the ground, breathing her last breath, with a smile on her face. Another vapor is formed into an orb and she rushes out of the arcade. 

“Did any of you hear what she said after we took the serums?” Ro inquires as soon as she’s out of earshot.  
“Calliope, was Sally….?”

Calliope nods ruefully.

“Some people aren’t afforded the luxury of a loving family,” she sighs sadly.  
“She’s been waiting for death since the day her sister was killed."

“I’ll go next,” Joey volunteers, clasping the stone to his chest as he sits on the couch.

“Joey,” Ro squeaks frightened.

“It’s okay,” he smiles as Calliope rolls up his sleeve.  
“Remember? This isn’t goodbye forever.”

After his arm is disinfected, Joey feels a poke and then he lets out a breath, forming his soul.

“I’m gonna make things right someday,” he declares before leaving the arcade.

Only five living people and one spirit remain.

“Let’s just get it over with,” Colleen sniffles, sitting down on the couch and taking her coat off.  
“Mama, I’m ready.”

Colleen rolls up her own sleeve and Calliope wipes it down before the Disco Dancer feels a little pinch. This time, instead of one soul emerging from her, first there’s a little one that rushes out of the arcade, followed by the bigger one. 

“I can go next,” Teala volunteers, taking off her jacket. 

“But how’s Calliope gonna roll up you sleeve?” Matt inquires.  
“Isn’t that, like a full jumpsuit?”

Shrugging, Teala unzips the jumpsuit a bit and pulls out her right arm.

“Stick me, Calliope,” she tells her.

A few wipes and a pinch are the last things Teala feels before emerging as an orb of white, misty vapor.

“It’s not too bad, actually,” she assures them before rushing out.

All the living people that remain are Matt, Rosanna, and Calliope.

“I can go next,” Matt sighs.

“Matt, I don’t wanna die without you,” Ro whimpers frightened.

“Well, I don’t know how Calliope can inject two of us at once."

“I can help with that,” Safiya volunteers, grabbing a syringe and standing to Ro’s right.

Ro and Matt remove their coats and grasp each other’s hand as they sit on the couch.

“Ready to explore the mysteries of the afterlife, Mabel?” Matt asks Ro with a soft smile as Safiya and Calliope disinfect their arms.

“Only if you are, Dipper,” she giggles sadly before Safiya and Calliope prick their arms. 

A cooling sensation moves through their bodies as they breathe their last breaths, their bodies still hand-in-hand. Their souls emerge from their bodies and hover in midair before appearing as full-body forms. 

“All that’s left is you, Calliope,” Safiya sighs.  
“You coming?”

“Of course,” she replies.  
“If you are willing to help.”

“Of course.”

Safiya picks up a wipe and the final syringe, and with a roll, wipe, and prick, the final living being of Everlock emerges as a soul, before turning into a full body.

“We do have to go up one at a time,” she tells the three of them as they emerge from the arcade. 

“I’ll go first,” Matt volunteers.

He sees the worried look on Ro’s face and gives her one in return, one that says “it’s gonna be okay,” before floating into the early morning sky.

“I’ll go next,” Calliope announces as soon as Matt disappears. 

Gracefully, she floats up towards the sky with Safiya and Ro looking onward.

“Do you want to go next?” Rosanna asks.

Shaking her head, Safiya smiles sadly.

“You go first.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you by yourself.”

Hearing this, she giggles at the innocence.

“I’m gonna see you soon. It’s not a forever-goodbye.”

“But can I have a hug anyway please?” 

“Of course.”

The two envelope each other when they begin to feel a warmth closing in on them.

“It’s the fire,” Ro exclaims as they break apart.

“Yeah, you should probably go.”

Taking a deep breath, Ro gracefully flies into the sky. Safiya takes a final look at the burning town of Everlock. She could say something to leave her and the town on a good note.

“Fuck this shit. I’m out. See ya never.”

Or she could say that before ascending to the afterlife. That works too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are you doing trying to get off the Feels Train? We're not stopping yet.
> 
> (Should I write an origin story for Sally?)


	26. More To The Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of reunions, a lot of feels, a few mysteries still unsolved.

Nikita feels mist gently brush her soul as she transforms into a full-body form. The logical side tells her she should feel scared, but instead she feels peace. Her feet land on the clouds and she tries to balance herself, but ends up falling to the cloud floor.

“Nikita?” a voice asks surprised.

Looking up, she sees a girl with brown, blue, and purple hair, wearing an olive-green long-sleeved dress and a feathery headpiece. She looks familiar.

“We were expecting you a while ago,” she continues frustrated.  
“I’m Gabbie, by the way. Gabbie Hanna.”

She holds out a hand and Nikita grabs it hesitantly.

“Wait, why are you here?” she asks Gabbie.

“They weren’t sure who to send,” she shrugs.  
“They usually send someone who’s interacted with them in their life.”

Nikita stares at her, still perplexed.

“So……why are you here?”

“I don’t know,” she huffs.  
“Look, let’s just go. The next person’s coming up.”

“Wait,” Nikita exclaims as the gates to a big-ass hotel open.  
“Aren’t you like a big YouTuber? Why are you in the afterlife?”

“Long story. C’mon, I’ll take you to the hotel pool. I can help answer some of the questions you have.”

* * *

Roi feels himself transform into his full body form as he pops through the clouds. He’s a bit better about keeping his balance, though, stumbling a bit as he holds out his arms.

“Whoa!” he exclaims with a laugh when he regains his composure and balance.  
“That was wild. Can this get any cooler?”

“Roi?” a familiar voice gasps.

Looking up, Roi spots a guy with dark hair, wearing clothing that looks like it came out of an era earlier than the one Roi died in.

“No way!” he gasps in disbelief.  
“Alex?”

“Roi! It’s you!"

The two of them embrace each other, tears falling down their faces.

“Oh my Gosh! I missed you so much,” Alex cries.  
“I didn’t know who was coming when they sent me to escort you.”

“Escort me? Where to?” Roi wonders as the gates open. 

“The hotel pool. That’s where everyone else is. C’mon,” he tells him as they walk through, as he puts his arm around Roi.  
“I think you’ve endured more than enough for one night.”

* * *

Manny follows suit, gracefully landing on the clouds. The gates reopen and Manny’s about to step through when two women emerge.

“I don’t understand why we both got called back,” Gabbie groans.

“They usually don’t send someone who recently—“

All of a sudden, she feels a hand stop her. Looking up she sees Nikita covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

“Manny!” she nearly screams as she envelops him in another Ro-style bear hug.  
“I was so worried that you——“

“Bitch,” he interrupts her.  
“What did I tell you back at the wheel of death thing? I would never leave you behind.”

“Wheel of death?” Gabbie asks in disbelief before shaking her head.  
“Whatever, let’s go. I’m itching to get back in that pool.”

* * *

JC’s not sure what the afterlife’s supposed to look like, but it being on a cloud doesn’t seem far-off from his guess as to what it might be like.

A gate opens to reveal a bleach-blonde girl in creme and light pink.

“JC?” she exclaims.  
“I was told you’d be here earlier.”

“Sorry, Tana,” he shrugs as she walks over to him with the gate closing behind her.  
“I got held up.”

“It’s fine.”

There’s a moment of silence between them before Tana speaks up again.

“That was really brave of you, by the way. What you did for the Detective.”

He shakes his head.

“It wasn’t fair for him to die.”

“Who said it was fair for you to die either?” Tana scoffs as the gates open back up.  
“C’mon, you’ve been through a lot tonight. The hotel pool’s the perfect temperature.”

* * *

Mortimer is more confused than relieved when he stands before a set of gates.

“I mean, this is what I was told Heaven looked like as a kid.”

The gates swing open to reveal a woman whose face is stained with tears.

“Mortimer,” she marvels.

He takes a closer look at the woman and soon enough, it hits him.

“Mom,” he gasps.  
“Mom, it’s you!"

The two of them run towards each other, embracing as tears fall down their faces.

“Oh my God! I was so worried about what was going to happen to you.”

“It’s okay, mom. I’m here now,” he assures her as the gates reopen and they break the hug.

“C'mon,” she sniffles as she smiles at him as they walk through them.  
“There’s no more suffering where we’re going.”

* * *

Sally is definitely shocked. She thought that with all of her crimes, she’d be damned. But here she is now, sitting on clouds and marveling at the beauty. She feels no pain, but she does feel curious as the gates open to reveal a short girl with blonde hair.

“Sally,” she exclaims in disbelief.  
“Sister, it’s you!”

Sally, the second she sees her, bursts into tears.

“Carrie!” she sputters as they embrace.  
“I’m so sorry about what happened. I had no idea that momma was going to drive into that ditch!”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she consoles her.  
“You couldn’t have known.”

“But I did. I heard momma talking about killing us the night before.”

“Well,” Carrie shrugs as the gates swing back open, the two sisters skipping through it, hand-in-hand.  
“That’s all in the past. Up here, there’s a family who will give us the love and care we need.”

* * *

Joey doesn’t know what to expect. Last time he died, he went to the world between worlds. But wasn’t he supposed to die with Everlock? At this point, he doesn’t want to question anything as the gates swing open.

“Joey,” a little brown girl exclaims in astonishment.

“Liza? Is that you?” he wonders as she runs towards him.

“Do you know any other little brown explorer girls?”  she inquires as she gives him a friendly shove.

All of a sudden, Joey feels himself toppling off the edge. Liza, realizing the events that could follow, quickly reaches out and pulls him back up.

“Whoops, sorry about that,” she laughs sheepishly as he steadies himself.  
“I’ve never actually been an escort. This is the first time they sent me to pick someone up.”

“An escort?”

Liza nods.

“They send people to bring the recently-deceased to the hotel, usually.”

“Hotel?” 

Now he’s excited.

“Yeah, there’s a pool. Perfect temperature, great music, they’ve even got a minibar. Helga’s the bartender, though, so if you want to get a drink, you gotta listen to her talk about goats first.”

“With after everything I’ve been through,” Joey declares with a laugh as they step through the gates.  
“I think I can handle Helga and her stories.”

* * *

The first thing Colleen notices when she arrives at the gates is that her abdomen is flat. Did Heaven give her a perfect body?

“Excuse me?” an ethereal voice inquires.  
“Might you be Colleen Ballinger-Evans?”

The Disco Dancer whirls around to spy what appears to be an angel of some sorts. Confused, she nods slowly.

“I am. Why do you ask?”

The angel smiles gently before turning around and motioning for another angel to come over. 

“We have a little gift for you,” the first angel replies. 

The other angel holds in their arms a bundle from which Colleen hears cooing. The angel holds the bundle out to her and she apprehensively takes a hold of it. It’s not until she sees the bundle that she’s overjoyed.

“Is that……is he?” she gasps in amazement.

The two angels nod and Colleen nearly drops the bundle as tears of joy form in her eyes. 

“Oh my God!” she squeaks.  
“That’s my baby.”

The little baby slowly opens his eyes and, upon seeing Colleen, reaches out a tiny hand to her, as he coos happily. She reaches out a finger and he takes ahold of it. Feeling his touch, Colleen gasps; now she’s certain that this is real.

“Oh, he’s so beautiful,” she beams.  
“I was so scared that he wouldn’t…….”

She can’t hold it in; her face is covered in tears of overwhelming joy. Holding him close, she looks into his eyes and realizes that this is no ordinary child. This one is truly a miracle. 

“Thank you so much!” she weeps to the angels with joy as the gates open up.

Colleen and her miracle child glide through them, ready to start their afterlives together as mother and son.

* * *

Teala’s just confused. After a night of chaos, pain, and evil, the serenity, warmth, and wholesomeness of where she is makes her feel……..strange.

“Hey!” a voice calls as the gates swing open.  
“Miss me?”

Teala whirls around to spy a brunette in mostly white with a crucifix around her neck.

“Sierra!” Teala gasps in shock.  
“What are you doing here?”

“Long story,” she summarizes quickly as the two of them hug.  
“But now you’re here! And there’s a pool back at the hotel that’s at the perfect temperature.”

“But shouldn’t I be in Hell? Like, I turned evil and whatnot, right? Why am I not in Hell?”

Sierra shrugs.

“I don’t know, but I’m glad you’re not in Hell.”

“But I—“

“Shh,” Sierra shushes her.  
“Just let it go. C’mon, the pool’s waiting.”

* * *

Matt, the second his feet touches the clouds, begins to analyze everything. Questions race through his mind so fast. In fact they’re going through his mind like…….like…..

“Like butter, Matt,” a voice smiles.  
“Like butter.”

Perplexed, Matt glances in the direction of the voice. He gasps when he sees a man with frizzy brown curls, a slight beard, and glasses.

“Ronnie,” Matt gasps, his voice cracking and tears forming.  
“Is that…..really you?”

Matt reaches out a hand as does Ronnie. The two of them touch. The second after they feel the touch, they embrace.

“Ronnie, I’m so sorry. I wish I could….I mean…”

“It’s okay,” Ronnie assures him.  
“You didn’t know.”

Matt sniffles a bit.

“C’mon, the hotel pool’s ready. I know you’re self-conscious about your legs, but there’s also a game room nearby with a ton of extra content. Can you imagine how many theories you can create?”

Hearing this, Matt starts to become excited until he realizes.

“But how can I deliver my theories?” he sighs sadly.

“They’ve got that covered. There’s a machine where you can send thoughts to someone’s mind. That includes theories, meaning you can send on your legacy.”

And with that, the two of them walk through the gates.

* * *

Calliope comes up in time to see Matt and a man she doesn’t recognize exit through the gates. A few moments after, a man in a leather jacket and slight shadow on his chin emerges, but he’s the one who’s shocked, rather than Calliope, who instead smiles gently.

“C-Calliope?” he stammers.  
“You’re here?”

“Shane Dawson,” she states.  
“I didn’t quite expect them to send a member of the Society to bring me to the afterlife.”

“I still can’t believe it was gunshot wounds that took out the Carnival Master. I just wish this cursed god wasn’t so persistent.”

Calliope nods in agreement. 

"First Arthur, then Riley, now Nicholas,” she lists off.   
"Who’s gonna be the next one corrupted by the cursed god?"

“Sources say to keep an eye out for a twenty year old girl. The cursed god has his eyes on her talent for writing and, for all we know, he may give her the power to not only write us all into a story, but then change and kill us again and again. She might even just write herself into a story with us."

Shuddering, Shane feels Calliope put a hand on his arm.

“We’ll worry about that when the time is near,” she assures him as the gates open.  
“Right now, I was told there was a room in the afterlife filled with relics to be decoded.”

Shane gives her a knowing grin.

“Right this way.”

* * *

Rosanna yelps a little as she stumbles on the clouds. She feels herself falling backwards when a hand catches her. She spies a woman with light blonde hair dressed in mostly white.

“Justine?” she stammers.

“Ro!” Justine squeals.  
“Oh my Gosh! I was so scared when I heard you’d died. I didn’t get to see you die, but I did see you fall under that spell. How did it feel?”

“Kinda peaceful, actually,” Ro shrugs.   
“What’s it like up here?”

“Three words,” Justine replies with anticipation.  
“Best. Pineapples. Ever. The pineapples here are the perfect combo of sweet and tangy!”

“Do they have those pretzels? The pineapple ones?” she wonders excitedly.

“Do they?” Justine scoffs.  
“Of course! And I’ve got my own monogrammed knife to open them all. The handle is colored pink camo, Ro. Pink. Camo! They’ve also got the most delicious drinks. And so much more, I can't even begin to tell you!”

Giggling at Justine’s enthusiasm, she takes her hand and the two skip on through.

* * *

Safiya’s the last one to arrive. She’s not going to bother looking down at the town. As far as she’s concerned, Everlock is no longer her problem. 

The gates fling back open and in step Calliope and another familiar face.

“Shane?” Safiya wonders.  
“What are you doing here?”

“Is it really a surprise that I’m here?” Shane scoffs.  
“To be honest, I kinda died in a stupid way. If I hadn’t told Sarah that I knew about what was going on, I’d probably still be alive.”

Shrugging Safiya looks around.

“So is this it? We don’t have to deal with anymore danger?”

Grimly the two Society members look at each other.

“What is it?” Safiya questions concerned. 

“It’s nothing,” Shane tries to shrug it off, but Safiya knows that there’s something he’s not telling her.  
“In the meantime, there’s a pool at the perfect temperature and an entire room dedicated to redesigning dolls. And weird clothing items. By the way, your long-sleeved and long-legged denim had Benjamin past shook.”

“Benjamin?” Safiya stammers beyond perplexed.  
“Who’s Benjamin? What’s going on?”

Calliope whispers something into Shane’s ear, as he looks just as perplexed.

“Oh, okay,” he whispers back before turning his attention back to Safiya.  
“Never mind. Let’s just go.”

As they step through the gates, Safiya swears that she can hear a low and malicious chuckle from somewhere in the distance.

_I don’t think this is the end of our danger,_ she thinks as the gates swing shut behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case, none of this is meant to offend anyone.


	27. Meanwhile....

In an apartment bedroom, listening to  _Chase the Morning_ from  _Repo: The Genetic Opera_ is a twenty year old girl with a cold working on a fanfiction series she started. It's the second installment of the series, and she's wondering 

_What if I was a_ _character in that? Maybe I should eventually write my own story to add to the series. Like, I could be the protagonist._

All of a sudden, words begin to appear on her screen.

_**YOU HAVE A WAY WITH FICTION.** _

_**YOU WRITE RATHER BEAUTIFULLY, MY DEAR.** _

Perplexed, and slightly concerned, the girl blinks a bit before typing back.

**Um thanks. Who are you and how are you talking to me?**

Soon enough she receives a response.

_**THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.** _

_**WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS** _

A few moments pass as the mystery person on the other end leaves her hanging.

 **What's important is.......what?** she types back.

Soon enough she receives a response back.

_**WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT I CAN HELP YOU EXPAND THE WORLD YOU ARE CREATING.** _

_**I CAN HELP MAKE IT SEEM MORE REAL THAN EVER BEFORE.** _

This sounds too good to be true. So she types back.

**What's the catch?**

The response is almost immediate.

_**NO CATCH.** _

_**I CAN MAKE YOUR WRITING POWERFUL.** _

_**I CAN MAKE IT REAL.** _

_**YOU JUST HAVE TO BE WILLING TO WORK WITH ME.** _

_**OH, BUT THERE IS ALSO ONE FAVOR I WOULD LIKE TO ASK.** _

**Which is?**

_**SOMETHING WE WILL GET TO IF AND WHEN WE HAVE PROGRESSED TOGETHER.** _

_**SO WHAT DO YOU SAY?** _

_**ARE YOU IN?** _

She's concerned. She knows better than to make sketchy deals with sketchy people, especially when it doesn't seem like there's a person on the other side of the conversation. But a part of her is curious to see where this goes.

_**IF YOU AGREE, I DO HAVE A SUGGESTION AS TO WHOSE PATH YOU MIGHT WRITE NEXT.** _

**Is that so? Who?**

A picture pops up on the screen and she grasps her chin, thinking, considering the possibilities. Finally, she decides to trust her instincts.

**Okay.**

**We have a deal.**

 


End file.
